Brussels/Paris – An open letter dated 9 April from airport trade group ACI Europe warns that stocks of jet fuel across the bloc could fall to critical levels within “three weeks”, potentially forcing carriers to cut frequencies or tanker fuel from alternative hubs. The warning, reported on 12 April by travel news site The Traveler, comes amid disrupted flows of refined products through the Strait of Hormuz. Low-cost giants Ryanair and easyJet—both with major operations at Brussels Zaventem and Charleroi—are highlighted as especially exposed. Ryanair told analysts its May–June fuel cover could be 25 per cent short if Gulf shipments do not normalise; contingency plans include trimming up to 10 percent of peak-summer capacity. EasyJet is reviewing base-to-base aircraft swaps to shield routes with stronger supply chains.
![EU Airports Warn of Jet-Fuel Shortage by Late April, Putting Brussels Flights at Risk]()
If sudden schedule changes send staff through unfamiliar airports or even non-Schengen territories, VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can quickly identify any additional visa or transit-document requirements and arrange expedited processing—an extra safety net for travel managers juggling fluid itineraries during a potential fuel squeeze.
For Belgian-based multinationals the prospect of fuel rationing adds another layer of uncertainty after months of EES-related queue warnings. Travel managers should map critical itineraries that rely on secondary airports with limited storage, build flex clauses into meeting agendas, and ensure travellers know how to claim EU261 compensation if cancellations spike. ACI Europe’s missive follows isolated rationing in northern Italy earlier this month. Analysts note that while no EU hub has yet run dry, the combination of tight stocks and surging demand ahead of the May public-holiday wave could turn the fuel crunch from a pricing problem into an operational one. Belgium’s Federal Mobility Service said it is “monitoring the situation closely” and has asked storage operators near Antwerp and Ghent to report weekly reserve levels. Should allocations bite, premium long-haul flights and medical charters would receive priority, meaning point-to-point leisure and corporate shuttles are the likeliest to see frequency cuts.
If sudden schedule changes send staff through unfamiliar airports or even non-Schengen territories, VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can quickly identify any additional visa or transit-document requirements and arrange expedited processing—an extra safety net for travel managers juggling fluid itineraries during a potential fuel squeeze.
For Belgian-based multinationals the prospect of fuel rationing adds another layer of uncertainty after months of EES-related queue warnings. Travel managers should map critical itineraries that rely on secondary airports with limited storage, build flex clauses into meeting agendas, and ensure travellers know how to claim EU261 compensation if cancellations spike. ACI Europe’s missive follows isolated rationing in northern Italy earlier this month. Analysts note that while no EU hub has yet run dry, the combination of tight stocks and surging demand ahead of the May public-holiday wave could turn the fuel crunch from a pricing problem into an operational one. Belgium’s Federal Mobility Service said it is “monitoring the situation closely” and has asked storage operators near Antwerp and Ghent to report weekly reserve levels. Should allocations bite, premium long-haul flights and medical charters would receive priority, meaning point-to-point leisure and corporate shuttles are the likeliest to see frequency cuts.
