Europeans making business trips or taking vacations may soon have to pay more for flights and face flight irregularities due to a jet fuel shortage caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway is a major conduit for the world's fossil fuels, handling around 20 percent of its liquefied natural gas shipments and 25 percent of its seaborne oil. But the strait has been largely impassable since the outbreak of the Iran war on Feb 28.

Now, as a result of the blockade, four major Italian airports have said they are bracing for jet fuel restrictions.

Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, Milan Linate Airport, Treviso Airport, and Venice Marco Polo Airport said refueling company Air BP Italia would provide only limited service because of constrained fuel availability. According to Italian news agency ANSA, priority will be given to emergency operations, including air ambulances, as well as long-haul flights, as supplies tighten.

News channel Sky TG24 quoted Danilo Recine, vice-president of the Associazione Nazionale Professionale Aviazione Civile, as saying that the organization, which represents pilots and flight attendants, while not expecting imminent cancellations, believes "the problem will become a reality" if the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues.

Seeking access

To ease the crisis, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Gulf states over the weekend to try to secure continued access to oil and gas supplies and to seek an end to the conflict. Politico reported she vowed to "guarantee Italy has access to the energy supply it needs".

Other major European airports, including London's Heathrow Airport, have also reported disruptions to jet fuel supply.

The shortages have led to the cost of jet fuel almost doubling in Europe since the conflict began, largely because of the continent's heavy reliance on Middle East oil.

The International Air Transport Association told The Times that the crisis has highlighted Europe's "deep vulnerabilities in jet fuel security".

Michael O'Leary, CEO of budget airline Ryanair, told Sky News that, while his company is "reasonably well-hedged" against rising fuel prices, he nevertheless expects ticket prices to go up by early May if the conflict carries on.