Customers increasingly seek trade’s assurance over flight disruption concerns

Agents and operators are increasingly having to reassure customers concerned about potential disruption to flights due to a possible shortage of jet fuel.

 

Fears a shortage could lead to flight cancellations without a resumption of oil and jet fuel supplies from the Gulf appeared to be confirmed by an Airlines UK letter to the government on Tuesday, warning carriers would need to cut flights and raise fares if the disruption continues.

 

The airline leaders’ letter urged ministers to allow the temporary import of alternative jet fuel supplies to ensure jet fuel production by refineries and to update the National Emergency Plan for Fuel.

 

A spokesperson for Airports UK said: "It is essential the government has robust plans to ensure we’re well prepared should issues arise with the supply of jet fuel".

 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned last week that Europe had "maybe six weeks" of jet fuel available.

 

Iata UK and Ireland area manager Lara Maughan repeated Iata chief Willie Walsh’s description of the IEA assessment as "sobering" when she addressed an Abta Aviation Forum in London on Tuesday.

 

However, she said: "The shortages at the moment are in Asia. We’re not seeing issues in the UK and Europe at the minute".

 

The EU was nonetheless poised to issue details of plans to address shortages this week after energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned Europe was moving "very rapidly" towards a jet fuel supply crisis.

 

Jorgensen said: "We’re moving from a crisis that has so far been primarily of too high prices towards a crisis of supply, primarily on jet fuels".

 

He said the EC would increase its monitoring of fuel stocks and refining, and potentially redistribute fuel, arguing: "We need to be honest and say the situation will become quite serious".

 

Airlines continue to insist in public that they have access to fuel for now.

 

EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis noted last week: "We only ever in this industry have three to four weeks’ visibility [of supply]".

 

Maughan said: "Forward visibility on the availability of jet fuel is not what we might have thought".

 

The Dutch government reported its supply of jet fuel was at 78% of normal levels on Monday – although the Netherlands should be among the best-stocked states in Europe as several of the continent’s largest refineries are in Rotterdam.

 

A spokesperson for airports association ACI Europe – which warned the EC of the risk of jet fuel shortages before Easter – told Travel Weekly: "We don’t have access to real-time, system-wide data across Europe, [and] we don’t have visibility on where potential shortages may materialise first.

 

"This is why we called on the EC to establish comprehensive monitoring and mapping of jet fuel availability."

 

Shona Thorne, director of Ayrshire-based Thorne Travel, reported customers raising concerns about jet fuel "every other hour" and said: "We’ve issued a statement setting out the facts".

 

Advantage Travel Partnership also issued advice for members to pass on to clients, saying: "While reports around jet fuel supply are causing concern, there is no reason to panic".

 

Tui UK advised customers raising concerns on social media: "At present, we’re not anticipating any immediate disruption to our flight schedules or holiday programmes from fuel shortages".