{"id":214490,"date":"2026-04-02T23:28:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T23:28:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-final-shipment-of-kerosene-for-europe-arrives-on-april-9-the-risk-of-canceled-flights-this-summer\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T23:28:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T23:28:06","slug":"the-final-shipment-of-kerosene-for-europe-arrives-on-april-9-the-risk-of-canceled-flights-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-final-shipment-of-kerosene-for-europe-arrives-on-april-9-the-risk-of-canceled-flights-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Final Shipment of Kerosene for Europe Arrives on April 9: The Risk of Canceled Flights This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The tanker Rong Lin Wan<\/i>, a giant of the seas at 250 meters long, is currently making its way towards western Africa. This tanker holds the distinction of being the last ship loaded with jet kerosene to sail from the Persian Gulf to Europe, set to dock at the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands on April 9. Launched on February 26 from Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait, it was initially destined for Malta but managed to cross the Strait of Hormuz just before Iran’s blockade. Following its arrival, no further shipments of aviation fuel from the Middle East will enter Europe.<\/p>\n

The Deadlines for Supply<\/h2>\n

The impending arrival of the Rong Lin Wan<\/i> has raised alarms across European airlines. A chief operating officer from one of the continent’s largest airlines warned, “By the end of April or early May, we could have just half of the available kerosene in Europe.” Although it’s possible to buy some time by tapping into strategic reserves and postponing regular refinery maintenance, these measures are unlikely to suffice.<\/p>\n

Consequences of Ongoing Conflicts<\/h2>\n

The ongoing conflict involving the US\/Israel and Iran has significantly impacted air transport. While Europe does not import substantial amounts of Gulf crude, around half of the aviation fuel at European airports originates from refineries in the Strait of Hormuz. With the crisis hitting Southeast Asia, tankers are rerouting eastward, aiming for higher profit margins.<\/p>\n

Production Versus Demand Gap<\/h2>\n

European airlines rely not only on Middle Eastern supplies but also on sources from the United States and West Africa. However, this is inadequate to bridge the gap. For example, Italy’s production of 674,000 barrels per day in 2025 will fall short of its consumption, nearly double at 1.3 million barrels, necessitating heavy imports. Countries like Poland, Greece, Spain, and Portugal are similarly reliant, with imports accounting for up to 97% of their kerosene needs.<\/p>\n

Systemic Shortage Signs<\/h2>\n

The scarcity of kerosene in Europe is not a recent development. Prolonged refinery closures, decreased local production, stricter environmental regulations favoring costly biofuels, and sanctions against Russia have contributed to this crisis. The situation has been exacerbated, with Vortexa reporting a 40% drop in aviation fuel imports, marking the lowest levels since the onset of the Ukraine conflict.<\/p>\n

Market Dynamics: A Tenuous Balance<\/h2>\n

Replacing the dwindling fuel supplies is proving difficult as alternative suppliers like South Korea and China restrict exports to safeguard their markets. This has led to market fluctuations, compelling tankers to divert from European routes to pursue more lucrative opportunities elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Potential Scenarios for Airlines<\/h2>\n

Airlines are proactively strategizing emergency plans to handle a potential fuel shortage. The equation is straightforward: without enough kerosene, operations can’t continue as normal. If the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, the CEO of Lufthansa anticipates needing to ground between 20 and 40 aircraft due to insufficient supplies.<\/p>\n

Escalating Fuel Costs<\/h2>\n

Fuel concerns extend beyond availability; prices have surged dramatically. Recently, a ton of jet kerosene hit $1,800, more than double the figure from late February. Many airlines had made advance fuel purchases based on lower prices, but the increasing \u00a0crack spread\u00a0\u2014the refining margin not included in contracts\u2014poses further financial challenges.<\/p>\n

Impact on Flight Schedules<\/h2>\n

As summer approaches, European airlines face the highest risk of disruptions. A shortage during the peak travel months could lead to reduced operations, particularly at key tourist airports. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens, a full recovery of fuel supplies could take weeks or even months.<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead: Time is of the Essence<\/h2>\n

According to Ryanair’s CEO, if the conflict abates and the Strait reopens in April, supplies may stabilize; however, ongoing tension could jeopardize 10% to 25% of future fuel supply. Hence, the aviation sector remains on high alert.<\/p>\n

Role of Airports and Future Measures<\/h2>\n

Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, offers some reassurance, indicating that 86% of European airports have fuel booking levels meeting or exceeding normal levels. However, he emphasizes the necessity for thorough assessments of fuel production and refining capabilities to navigate the potential crisis ahead effectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The tanker Rong Lin Wan, a giant of the seas at 250 meters long, is currently making its way towards western Africa. This tanker holds the distinction of being the last ship loaded with jet kerosene to sail from the Persian Gulf to Europe, set to dock at the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23832],"tags":[173,20156,217,44455,1834,1147,466,2733,13441,1207,33251,81],"class_list":["post-214490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-finance","tag-april","tag-arrives","tag-canceled","tag-corriere-della-sera","tag-economy","tag-europe","tag-final","tag-flights","tag-kerosene","tag-risk","tag-shipment","tag-summer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214490\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}