Demand for Jet A Remains High as Prices Rise and Supply Dwindles

Driven mostly by geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, the cost to fuel a business turbine-powered aircraft has significantly risen over the past few weeks with reports of spot shortages for Jet A looming in the background.

At the time of this writing, our discovery work with several aviation related on-line websites indicated that the average cost of Jet A in the U.S. is around $7.75 per gallon, a nearly 50% increase since before the start of the conflict, with some spot markets approaching $10 per gallon. On the high end, we found at least one large market pricing Jet A up towards the $14 per gallon mark.

However, according to several FBOs we talked to, customer demand for Jet A remains stable. The cost of fuel has not appreciably slowed activity on ramps with reports of business remaining steady.

“We are still seeing a normal amount of flying activity, particularly by fractional and Part 135 charter operators,” one FBO operator reported. “In fact, if anything, activity seems to be rising slightly.”

As far as supply of Jet A in the U.S. goes, one aggregate fuel supplier reported that most FBOs are generally still able to order and receive fuel shipments. However, supply is tight and regions that are less connected by pipelines are starting to experience spot shortages and supply constraints.

Globally, the situation is more acute with 20% of global oil production passing through the Strait of Hormuz; the conflict has virtually shut down this supply route which is reportedly impacting refinery operations in the Middle East.

As a result, shortages in Asia are expected to affect Europe with various airports reporting a temporary limited supply of Jet A as some European airlines brace for possible flight scheduling disruptions.

For the U.S. FBO industry, we recommend keeping a close eye on your fuel inventories as well as the amount of flight activity on your ramp. It’s going to be a bit of a balancing act for weeks to come, as no one can predict when the conflict will end and how long it will take to fully realize a supply recovery.

Also, keep in close touch with your fuel supplier and understand what their strategy is to keep Jet A flowing into your region.

Please leave any comments you have about this blog post below. If you have any questions, please send us an email: John Enticknap, jenticknap@bellsouth.net,  Ron Jackson, ronjacksongroup@gmail.com,

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