European airports could face jet fuel shortages within weeks unless tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz resumes, as the closure of the key shipping corridor continues to strain supplies ahead of the summer travel season.

In a letter to the European Commission, Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) said its members are increasingly concerned about dwindling jet fuel stocks, noting that demand will rise sharply as holiday travel ramps up.

The letter, first reported by the Financial Times, cautioned that a "systemic jet fuel shortage" could materialise if flows through the strait do not restart in a "significant and stable way" within the next three weeks.

ACI director Olivier Jankovec said any shortage would "severely disrupt airport operations and air connectivity" across the EU.

The Strait of Hormuz has been largely closed to commercial shipping since the outbreak of conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran on February 28.

The waterway typically handles around 20–25% of global oil shipments, including a substantial share of Europe's jet fuel imports and the disruption has supressed supply and pushed up prices to nearly US$200 per barrel last week from US$100 per barrel in February.

The higher fuel costs are also expected to feed through to airfreight rates and airline operating expenses in the coming weeks.

ACI Europe has urged Brussels to coordinate an EU‑wide response, including the creation of a monitoring platform to track fuel availability, identify alternative import routes and assess the use of commercial and strategic reserves.

They also called for joint procurement mechanisms and the removal of regulatory barriers that limit the ability to import jet fuel from outside the bloc.

Jankovec said the crisis has exposed the EU's vulnerability due to reduced refining capacity and heavy reliance on imports from other regions. He added that strengthening domestic refining, alongside accelerating the production and affordability of sustainable aviation fuel under the RefuelEU mandate, should form part of the bloc's long‑term strategy.

"Safeguarding and future‑proofing air connectivity requires an EU plan to recover and develop refining capacity for jet fuel," he wrote.