An EU official has warned the holidays of “many people” are likely to be affected as the jet fuel crisis looms. Dan Jorgensen, the EU energy commissioner, cautioned that Europe is facing a “very serious crisis,” as feared jet fuel shortage risks causing major disruption to travel plans.
Triggered by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil exports from the Middle East have ground to a halt compared to earlier this year, leaving European jet fuel reserves severely depleted. “Unfortunately, it’s very likely that many people’s holidays will be affected, either by flight cancellations or very, very expensive tickets,” Jorgensen told Sky News. “Even if we do everything we can do, if the jet fuel is not there, then it’s not there”, he added.
Holidaymakers are being advised by Pierluigi di Palma, President of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, to consider a staycation this summer, as the fuel crisis is expected to have a “destructive effect on passengers.”
“It is best to recommend holidays nearby, rediscovering beautiful places in our country”, Pierluigi di Palma advised.
He continued: “For those who still want to risk taking a long trip, it’s a good idea to consider special insurance that can provide reassurance regarding a guaranteed refund in the event of a delayed or cancelled flight.”
The EU has unveiled a series of measures aimed at easing the impact of the energy crisis, this includes plans to fast forward the adoption of renewable energy and offer incentives for households to install cleaner technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels.
Roughly 75% of Europe’s jet fuel comes from the Middle East, which makes the disruption being faced by Europe especially severe.
Earlier this week German carrier Lufthansa joined the scores of airlines in axing flights, scrapping 20,000 planned services from its schedule.
“In total, 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from the schedule through October, equivalent to approximately 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel, the price of which has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict,” a spokesperson for Lufthansa said.
This comes after the International Energy Agency warned that the continent may have “around six weeks of jet fuel remaining”.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a sobering picture of the global repercussions of what he called “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced,” stemming from the pinch-off of oil, gas and other vital supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
