⛽ Hormuz Crisis Weighs on Europe, Business Aviation Fuel Supply Drops Sharply
Avi-Go data shows that from April 1 to 27, 2026, combined business aviation movements at Europe's five major business aviation airports fell from 8,166 operations in the same period in March to 7,343 operations, a month-on-month decline of 10.1%. Zurich Airport recorded the steepest drop at 20.5%, Paris Le Bourget saw a reduction of 482 movements or 15.0%, and Munich also declined 7.8%. Global pressure was equally evident: among the Top 20 countries, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France posted year-on-year declines of 21.5%, 20.9%, and 15.3% respectively in April, while the United States recorded the largest absolute decrease at 39,132 movements. India was the sole market to buck the trend, rising 9.5% year-on-year. According to AIN, Titan Aviation Fuels has confirmed that European FBOs are facing material fuel shortages. IEA Director General Fatih Birol warned on April 16 that Europe holds only approximately 6 weeks of jet fuel reserves, and the jet fuel crack spread has climbed to a record $80 per barrel. The European Commission launched the AccelerateEU initiative on April 28 to address the supply crisis.
Impact: European FBOs are caught between critically low fuel inventories and doubled fuel prices, with constrained refueling capacity directly limiting the number of movements they can accommodate. Capacity contraction at core hubs such as Zurich and Le Bourget will drive up operating costs and intensify slot competition. For intercontinental business aviation operators relying on European transit points, uncertainty in route planning has increased significantly.
Recommendation: Operators should complete fuel pre-purchase or price-lock agreements for European routes before mid-May 2026, prioritizing priority refueling agreements with FBOs that have confirmed inventory. Simultaneously, evaluate alternative routing options that bypass the Middle East (such as transiting via non-Middle Eastern nodes), and incorporate fuel risk as a core variable in 2026 summer flight planning.