Europe’s aviation safety regulator has warned airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to prepare for possible operational risks if fuel shortages force parts of the sector to use a different grade of jet fuel.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued the guidance on Friday after airlines warned that fuel shortages could emerge within weeks if disruption linked to the war in Iran continues.
The European Union is considering contingency measures, including increased imports of jet fuel from the United States. However, the fuel commonly used in North America differs from the Jet A-1 fuel that dominates aviation operations across Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia.
At the centre of EASA’s warning is the distinction between Jet A-1 and Jet A. Both are approved for use in many aircraft, but Jet A-1 has a lower freezing point and has long been the standard fuel assumed in European aviation systems, infrastructure, procedures and crew training.
EASA said it does not have major safety concerns about Jet A itself, noting that it is used daily in North America. The agency’s concern is focused on the transition period, particularly the risk that crews, fuel handlers or dispatch systems could wrongly assume an aircraft has been filled with Jet A-1 when it has received Jet A.
Such errors could have serious operational implications, especially on long-haul or high-altitude flights over cold regions, where fuel temperature limits are more critical.
Regulator Urges Caution During Transition
EASA warned that inaccurate fuel information could affect flight planning, delay contingency actions or lead crews to operate with reduced safety margins.
The agency also highlighted human-factor risks, warning against the assumption that “jet fuel is jet fuel”. It said insufficient training or poor visibility of fuel-grade information could lead pilots and ground crews to make unsafe operational assumptions.
The guidance is not legally binding, but it amounts to a coordinated alert across Europe’s aviation fuel chain.
Fuel suppliers have been urged to preserve traceability and keep Jet A handling standards as close as possible to existing Jet A-1 procedures. Airports are being asked to introduce clear fuel-grade markings, publish any changes and coordinate transitions among fuel providers.
Airlines have been advised to review crew training, dispatch procedures, flight-planning assumptions and contingency planning for operations involving Jet A. Operators should also inform pilots when airports that previously supplied Jet A-1 begin offering Jet A.
Aircraft manufacturers have also been asked to assess how mixed loads of Jet A and Jet A-1 behave in aircraft tanks, particularly in relation to freezing characteristics and warning thresholds.
Despite the warning, EASA said the situation does not currently require new legislation or emergency operational orders. The agency described the guidance as a temporary precaution linked to evolving fuel market pressures.
EASA said it expects to review or withdraw the guidance before the start of the next winter season, depending on how supply conditions develop.
Source: Euronews
