BRUSSELS — Europe is facing a jet fuel crunch and is hunting for fresh supplies in the U.S. — but importing American kerosene is so complicated that it might not save the continent’s airlines.
The EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is due to issue a recommendation this week on whether to allow the import of U.S. Jet A, to be used alongside international standard Jet A1 in Europe.
The agency “will address the safety related aspects linked to the presence of Jet A fuel in a Jet A1 environment,” said EASA spokesperson Janet Northcote.
But importing and using the American fuel has its own problems — from competing for supply against U.S. airlines to ensuring that the supply chains of the two fuels don’t mix — so any added imports are unlikely to make a dramatic difference to Europe’s looming supply squeeze.
