Fuel restrictions begin at four Italian airports

The first fuel limits for flights have now taken effect at Bologna, Milan Linate, Treviso and Venice airports. Air BP Italia, one of the main fuel suppliers, has issued a NOTAM. That is aviation shorthand for a notice sent to airlines. It says that for the next few days, through 9 April, fuel supplies will be restricted at the four airports.

According to the company, which is part of the British energy group BP, priority for refuelling will go to:

  • ambulance flights
  • state flights
  • flights longer than 3 hours

For every other service, fuel will be distributed under a cap.

The limits at Bologna, Venice and Treviso

At Bologna, Venice and Treviso, the rules are more specific. Ambulance flights, state flights and routes longer than three hours will still come first. For all other flights, the limit per aircraft will be:

  • 2,000 litres at Bologna
  • 2,000 litres at Venice
  • 2,500 litres at Treviso

The details in the NOTAM suggest that Venice is the most delicate case. It is the only airport where pilots are explicitly advised to take on fuel before arriving. Milan Linate also faces restrictions, although no numerical cap has been announced there.

Save says the issue is limited

The restrictions are not significant for the airports of Venice, Treviso and Verona, according to Gruppo Save, which manages those airports.

In a statement, the company said the problem concerns only one supplier and that other suppliers are still operating at its airports, covering most airlines. Save also stressed that there are no limits for intercontinental flights or for flights within the Schengen area, and that operations are continuing without what it called any alarmism. A reassuring tone, in other words, which airports always seem to find right after a warning notice has already gone out.

Ryanair warns of higher costs, not immediate shortages

Ryanair says it does not expect a fuel shortage in the short term, but the situation remains fluid. The airline said its fuel suppliers can guarantee deliveries until around mid to late May.

If the war in Iran ends soon, Ryanair said supply will not be interrupted. But if the closure of the Strait of Hormuz lasts into May or June, it cannot rule out fuel supply risks at some European airports.

The airline also said that fuel prices doubled in March. As a result, it expects all airlines to pass those higher costs on to passengers through higher fares after Easter and throughout the summer.

Its advice to travellers is simple enough: book flights and holidays as soon as possible, because prices for air travel and accommodation are likely to rise after Easter and later in the summer. The airline industry does love a cheerful message before peak season.

Hedge contracts protect prices, not supply

Bloomberg, in an analysis on the issue, noted that major European airlines have contracts that shield them from sharp swings in fuel prices, but not from a lack of availability.

The report says leading carriers such as Lufthansa, Ryanair and Air France hedge, on average, about 70% of their annual fuel needs through derivatives contracts. Those instruments help manage price volatility, but they do not guarantee physical delivery of the fuel itself.

So airlines may be somewhat protected from the bill. The fuel tank, however, is a less accommodating matter.