Southern Africa region airlines worry about jet fuel supplies
Johannesburg, South Africa (PANA) - Airlines operating in the Southern Africa region have called on states and operators of aviation facilities and airport authorities to declare the true state of fuel supplies in their countries.
The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) Chief Executive Officer Aaron Munetsi said the airline operators were gravely concerned about the lack of clarity around the availability of jet fuel across the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region.
The concern is particularly concerning for the fuel supplies beyond May 2026.
Air transport, which is a crucial pillar for the SADC members’ economies, is particularly susceptible to disrupted fuel supplies because it depends almost entirely on imported crude oil and refined Jet-A1 kerosene.
“Airlines require certainty on the security of jet fuel supplies beyond a six-week horizon if they are to maintain their schedules and fulfil their obligations to customers,” Munetsi said in a statement on Friday.
The supply chaos arises from the difficulty of having shipping companies transit through the Strait of Humuz, due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“While we hope the situation in the Gulf will be resolved sooner so fuel shipments can resume, we must safeguard aviation in case the impasse continues,” Munetsi said.
The AASA asked the region’s fuel suppliers, depots (including airports) and all the SADC member governments to urgently share their contingency fuel allocation and distribution plans with the aviation industry.
Even when the Strait of Hormuz blockade is lifted, it will take months at the very least, for fuel production to return to its previous output as several refineries in the Gulf have been damaged and will need to be repaired or rebuilt.
“This is why we need transparent updates on fuel stocks, including what has been ordered but must still be delivered as well as the status of national strategic fuel reserves, the conditions that would trigger their release and how those reserves would be allocated and prioritised,” Munetsi said.
Since the US-Israel-Iran war began, jet fuel prices in Southern Africa have, on average, more than trebled from around 8.50 rand a litre in mid-February to over 30.00 rand a litre by mid-April.
In land-locked countries such as Malawi, the Jet-A1 prices have raced to over 50.00 rand a litre. These increases have been on the back of rising crude oil prices and concerns about security of supplies.
The increases have exacerbated the situation for African airlines, which, even before the current crisis, were paying some of the highest jet fuel prices in the world.
“In fact, jet fuel accounted for up to 40% of some of our region’s carriers’ costs. The latest spike has prompted most SADC-based airlines to implement cost recovery mechanisms in the form of fuel surcharges, and some carriers have also begun reducing frequencies and consolidating flights. However, airlines cannot plan or operate in an information vacuum.” Munetsi said.
The statement said airlines are painfully aware of the pressure that increased ticket prices exert on their customers and the ripple effects across the economy when considering how much they all depend on air transport, not only for flying passengers, but for the transport of goods and essential pharmaceuticals and other perishables, e-commerce goods, courier services and high-value cargo.
At the same time, airlines should not be expected to absorb the shock on their own.
Airports and air navigation service providers must also come to the fore and collaborate with airlines in this regard.
“Now, more than at any other time, they have a responsibility to ensure they operate with maximum efficiency by eliminating congestion and delays that waste fuel and increase costs. by avoiding costs caused by such delays,” Munetsi said.
-0- PANA AO/MA 24April2026
