Lorraine Williamson
Spain is tightening its watch on aviation fuel supplies just as the summer travel season begins to build, with airport operator Aena working alongside fuel producers, airlines, and the government to monitor risks linked to the wider European jet fuel squeeze. The move does not mean flights in Spain are under immediate threat. For now, it means the country is preparing early while the rest of Europe grapples with a fast-moving energy shock.
Aena has helped set up a coordination group that brings together the public reserves body Cores, logistics operator Exolum, airline groups ALA and IATA, fuel suppliers and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition. According to Spanish reports, the aim is to track the situation closely, spot possible risks and coordinate a response if one becomes necessary.
Spain looks better placed than some of its neighbours
The key reason Spain is sounding cautious rather than alarmed is its domestic refining strength. Airline industry representatives say between 80% and 85% of the jet fuel used in Spain is refined at home, which gives the country a stronger buffer than other European markets that depend more heavily on disrupted imports. Fuel companies have also said supply is guaranteed until at least the end of May while work continues to extend reserves into June.
That relative resilience helps explain why airlines are still planning a bigger summer programme in Spain. ALA says carriers are offering 258.8 million seats for the summer season, up 5.7% on last year, even as the wider European market remains nervous about fuel availability and cost pressures.
Europe is still under pressure
Elsewhere, the outlook is less comfortable. Reuters has reported that Europe’s dependence on jet fuel linked to Middle East supply routes has left the sector vulnerable after disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, with industry warnings that shortages could begin to bite from late May if the situation drags on. The European Commission has already responded by setting up a new fuel observatory, starting with jet fuel, while saying there are no signs yet of widespread cancellations in the coming weeks or months.
Spain has also signalled it would actively support any EU-level plan to share jet fuel stocks or coordinate purchases if needed. That matters because Spain is not only trying to shield its own airports. It could also become part of the bloc’s broader contingency plan if fuel strains worsen elsewhere.
The bigger threat may be fares rather than flights
For travellers, the more immediate issue may be price rather than outright disruption. Even where supply is holding, airlines are dealing with much higher costs. El País reports that jet fuel prices have risen by more than 100% since the conflict escalated, and Lufthansa has already announced 20,000 flight cancellations through to the end of October as part of its fuel-saving response.
That does not mean Spain is heading for empty airport tanks or widespread grounded flights. But it does mean the country is entering the summer season with its aviation system on alert, its fuel chain under closer scrutiny and the wider European market still exposed to events far beyond its borders. For passengers heading to or from Spain, that is the real story tonight: not panic, but pressure.