IATA said Jet A could be used in Europe to help ease possible aviation fuel shortages, and an IATA official warned the move may be needed if the war in the Middle East drags on.
Stuart Fox, writing in an IATA blog post, said "if the conflict in the Middle East continues "it won't be long before we see fuel shortages in some parts of the world" and added that "European fuel supply could come under pressure if the war in the Middle East continues. Using Jet A, which is produced at scale outside the Gulf, could be a practical way to help ease some pressure on existing supply chains."
The scale of the squeeze is simple: since the war began, the price of the jet fuel used by most European airlines has jumped by half, and supplies of Jet A-1 from the Gulf region have slowed to a trickle. That has prompted two major international airline bodies to issue guidance on alternatives.
Commercial aviation primarily relies on two main types of kerosene-based fuel: Jet A-1, the global standard for most international operations, and Jet A, which North American airlines use every day. The technical difference most cited is freezing point: Jet A-1 has a lower maximum freezing point of -47°C, while Jet A's maximum is -40°C.
Regulators and industry bodies have responded in recent days. On Friday, the European Aviation Safety Agency issued a safety information bulletin that said, "A potential introduction of Jet A in Europe or in other parts of the world would not generate safety concerns provided that its introduction is properly managed." Later that same day the European Union said, "There is no regulatory obligation mandating the use of either fuel grade," and added, "There are also no regulatory obstacles to the use of Jet A fuel imported to Europe provided its use is properly managed and communicated throughout the fuel supply chain to ensure highest standards of safe operation."
The practical obstacle is not safety law but logistics. Europe normally relies heavily on Jet A-1 imports from the Gulf region; increased shipments from the United States have been making up some of the shortfall, but many US refineries are not set up to produce Jet A-1. That mismatch explains why IATA and EASA are urging coordinated, short-term changes rather than a permanent swap of fuel grades.
The tension is operational. Jet A runs at a higher maximum freezing point than Jet A-1, which matters on long international flights and in very cold cruise altitudes. Regulators say safety can be maintained if the change is "properly managed" and communicated across the supply chain; operators and fuel suppliers must adapt procedures, quality controls and paperwork to avoid mixing errors or misfueling.
There is also a strategic tension: Europe could import more Jet A from producers outside the Gulf to relieve immediate pressure, but the supply is not identical and many long-haul operations were designed around Jet A-1. The industry must weigh the immediate benefit of more fuel against the cost and complexity of adapting systems and routes to a slightly different product.
For travelers and airlines the near-term impact is clear: the market is being reshaped by supply routes and refinery capability, not by a sudden change in safety rules. EASA and the EU have left the door open for Jet A, but both insist the move must be managed across the fuel supply chain and communicated to operators to maintain safe operations.
The most consequential question now is whether the conflict in the Middle East continues long enough to force a sustained reconfiguration of Europe's fuel sources. If that happens, expect a managed, temporary acceptance of Jet A where it can be safely integrated — not a wholesale replacement of the Jet A-1 standard that has underpinned most international flying for decades.
