The head of Europe’s largest airline has expressed concern about jet fuel shortages in the United Kingdom, describing the UK’s supplies as the least secure in the region because of the country’s reliance on Kuwait amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
“Of all the European countries at the moment, the one that is most vulnerable is the UK because of the market share that the Kuwaitis have here,” said Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary. “There could be a surplus of jet A-1 fuel in the Middle East, but you have still got to ship it to Europe and we don’t know when or how that happens.”
The budget carrier has managed to hedge the cost of its fuel over the next year, keeping it down to $67 a barrel, despite prices soaring at the end of March to $195 a barrel, meaning that right now, expenditure is less of a worry than supply. A quarter of the UK’s oil comes from Kuwait, via the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently blockaded.
In an interview with Sky's @WilfredFrost, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has warned the war in the Middle East could disrupt jet fuel supplies across Europe later this spring.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 1, 2026
Iran war latest: https://t.co/Mnsy2SXXPA pic.twitter.com/2NRjlcfiAD
“Nobody is willing to give us any assurances into June or July,” O’Leary said. “But if there’s a risk to 10% or 20% of the fuel supply in June, July or August, then we and all other airlines would have to start looking at cancelling some flights or taking some capacity out.”
In the US, where airlines no longer typically hedge fuel purchasing, United Airlines faces an extra $11 billion in annual fuel bills, and CEO Scott Kirby has already confirmed a five percent slash to the flight schedules. And despite access to around 190,000 barrels per day from an affiliated refinery, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has said an additional $400 million in fuel costs for March alone would be passed onto passengers in the form of higher fares.
TRUMP: UK / EU – GO GET YOUR OWN OIL… YOU CHICKENS
— NewsForce (@Newsforce) March 31, 2026
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel…
I have a suggestion for you: 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT."
pic.twitter.com/qiaOIF5e7A
Around the world, Cathay Pacific is raising fuel surcharges from 1 April; Air France, KLM and Air India have already put up fares. Air New Zealand had written off around 1,100 flights affecting over 44,000 passengers, SAS Scandinavian Airlines has cancelled around 1,000 flights and is adding between €40 and €250 to ticket prices, and Thai Airways and Qantas raised fares at the end of March.
In the UK, jet fuel price hedging is common, but O’Leary points out that the UK’s dependence on Kuwait puts its consumers at risk of cancellations and price increases nonetheless. Domestic airline Skybus has already cancelled a route between London Gatwick and the southwest surf town of Newquay that it only started in November 2025.
Still, like Ryanair, major carriers such as British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, and Virgin Atlantic have locked down fuel prices and are currently even increasing flights to some destinations, to take advantage of the gap in the market created by other carriers’ cancellations. Where individual airports, such as those in Pakistan, are suffering shortfalls, they are recommending airlines “carry maximum fuel from abroad and minimise uplift of jet fuel.” Refuelling en route is also a solution.
Although the last oil tanker from the Gulf is reaching Britain at the time of writing, the country’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has denied the UK will get to the same crisis point, telling The Independent: “Jet fuel shipments are continuing to arrive in the UK. The UK receives imports of jet fuel from India, the US and the Netherlands, as well as smaller amounts from a range of other countries.”
However, O’Leary’s warning has resonated with some commentators. While travel expert Simon Calder does not recommend “panic buying,” he does note that committing now to flights people know they will take over the coming months will mean passengers avoid potential price rises and get strong consumer protections in the event of cancellations.
