In the next few days, the European Commission will publish new guidelines to help the aviation sector cope with any fuel shortages.
As announced in the ‘AccelerateEU’ plan (see EUROPE 13854/2), these will specify the possible room for manoeuvre within the current regulatory framework for the sector, in particular the import of aviation kerosene from the United States (see EUROPE 13853/2).
When asked about this, European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told the press that anti-tankering measures (the practice of taking on more fuel than necessary during a flight to avoid more costly refuelling at other airports), as well as the use of fuel from the United States, would be clarified in the recommendations presented this week by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Mainly used in the United States, Jet-A fuel has a higher freezing point and is less resistant to extreme temperatures than Jet A-1, which is used in Europe. However, its use would not require any technical modifications to aircraft engines.
The aim of this guide is to create an operational framework for rapidly securing supplies to the sector in the event of a crisis, without creating dependence on imports of aviation kerosene from the United States, against a backdrop of transatlantic trade tensions (see other news). (Original version in French by Juliette Verdes)