In a letter leaked on 15 April 2026, Airport Council International (ACI) Europe urged the European Commission to take emergency measures to avert a “systemic shortage” of jet fuel by mid-May if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. Roughly 40 % of global aviation fuel normally transits the waterway, and stocks at several Italian airports are already being rationed. The warning has immediate implications for Switzerland. Zurich and Geneva import the bulk of their Jet A-1 via north-Italian pipelines; any prolonged rationing south of the Alps would ripple across the network. SWISS has initiated scenario planning to prioritise repatriation and cargo flights if allocations are imposed, while the Federal Office of Civil Aviation is reviewing minimum-reserve rules. Travel-management companies report a spike in corporate enquiries about alternative rail links for intra-European trips.
![Airport Council Warns Jet-Fuel Shortage Could Ground European—and Swiss—Flights Within Weeks]()
Travellers suddenly faced with rerouted or multimodal itineraries should also verify that any new visa requirements are covered in good time; VisaHQ’s Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can fast-track applications and provide up-to-date guidance, making it easier for passengers and corporate mobility managers to adapt plans on short notice.
ACI’s wish-list includes lifting certain EU environmental rules on refinery methane emissions, co-ordinated strategic fuel purchases and temporary state-aid approvals for airlines. Brussels is expected to table a crisis package on 22 April. In Bern, the transport ministry says Switzerland will mirror EU measures under the Air Transport Agreement, giving it access to any joint procurement scheme. From a mobility perspective, the prospect of fuel rationing could translate into rolling flight cancellations, fare increases and tighter baggage limits just as expatriate families plan summer relocations. Employers are advised to lock in critical travel early, keep relocation shipments flexible and monitor airline waivers that allow date changes without fees. Longer term, the episode is accelerating investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Geneva-based start-up Synhelion, which signed an offtake deal with SWISS earlier this year, says the crisis underscores the need for domestic, non-fossil jet-fuel production to shield land-locked countries like Switzerland from geopolitical shocks.
Travellers suddenly faced with rerouted or multimodal itineraries should also verify that any new visa requirements are covered in good time; VisaHQ’s Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can fast-track applications and provide up-to-date guidance, making it easier for passengers and corporate mobility managers to adapt plans on short notice.
ACI’s wish-list includes lifting certain EU environmental rules on refinery methane emissions, co-ordinated strategic fuel purchases and temporary state-aid approvals for airlines. Brussels is expected to table a crisis package on 22 April. In Bern, the transport ministry says Switzerland will mirror EU measures under the Air Transport Agreement, giving it access to any joint procurement scheme. From a mobility perspective, the prospect of fuel rationing could translate into rolling flight cancellations, fare increases and tighter baggage limits just as expatriate families plan summer relocations. Employers are advised to lock in critical travel early, keep relocation shipments flexible and monitor airline waivers that allow date changes without fees. Longer term, the episode is accelerating investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Geneva-based start-up Synhelion, which signed an offtake deal with SWISS earlier this year, says the crisis underscores the need for domestic, non-fossil jet-fuel production to shield land-locked countries like Switzerland from geopolitical shocks.
