Fuel Shortages Hit Europe’s BizAv Market

Reduced availability of jet-A tied to truck driver shortage.

Julie Boatman

Tuesday, June 07, 2022 at 05:38 PM ET

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The Cessna Citation Mustang is an economical platform to connect major metro areas in Europe. [Courtesy: GlobeAir]

Key Takeaways:

European turbine charter operators, exemplified by GlobeAir, are experiencing significant Jet-A fuel shortages due to a lack of truck drivers and broader logistical challenges exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and Brexit.
The primary cause of these fuel delivery issues is a severe shortage of truck drivers, many formerly from Ukraine and facing low pay, leading to problems in the UK, France, and anticipated spread to Italy and other remote areas.
To mitigate the impact, operators are limiting flights, increasing prices, and requiring extended lead times for bookings, with the situation expected to deteriorate further as the summer travel season progresses.

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The reduced availability of jet-A has struck home in Europe, with turbine charter operators feeling the ramifications of a lack of drivers, and other logistical challenges, precipitated by not only the current war in Ukraine but with ties back to Brexit and the labor shortages that have followed in the transportation of goods around the European Union and U.K.

In an interview with FLYING, Bernhard Fragner, CEO and founder of GlobeAir, related the challenges that his company has faced in the past few weeks as summer charter travel ramps up in Europe.