Jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the war in Iran, raising questions about potential disruptions to air travel and holiday plans worldwide.
If the conflict doesn't resolve and the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, could airlines simply run out of aviation fuel? It's a scenario the aviation industry has never faced before.
Air travel has encountered unprecedented obstacles this century. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted flights globally, as did the 2010 Icelandic volcanic eruption, which closed much of European airspace for eight days, cost an estimated €3.75 billion and caused significant supply chain chaos.
Other disruptions have been more localized, such as the Heathrow substation outage and the Iberian energy crisis last year, both of which closed airports temporarily. But since air travel began, a global fuel shortage has never impeded operations worldwide.
