The European Commission today said there are no regulatory obstacles to the use in Europe of imported Jet A fuel, which is being considered as an alternative because of a shortfall in Jet A1 supplies.
Europe — like most of the world — uses A1-specification jet fuel, whereas the US uses Jet A. The two specifications are almost identical, but Jet A1 importantly has a freeze point of -47°C, which is 7°C lower than Jet A.
The US has become Europe's single-largest jet fuel supply region since the closure of the strait of Hormuz, through which 40pc of Europe's jet fuel imports transit.
The commission said any fuel grade change requires proper management and communication, and "may require the agreement of the users connected to that system".
The EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) today outlined "risks associated with the introduction of Jet A fuel in a Jet A-1 environment", including potential "mismatches" between fuel properties and existing operational, technical and procedural assumptions, but said it does not consider these an "unsafe condition".
The commission also said airlines can be exempted from the ReFuelEU regulation's 90pc fuel uplift requirement when taking extra supplies from departure airports. Fuel supply issues at airports may also exempt airlines from landing and take-off slot obligations as a "justified non-use of slots".
EU energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the guidance explains the current legal situation but does not add "anything new".
"This is not us recommending airlines what [fuel type] they should be using," Itkonen said. The commission has a "full" overview of commercial jet fuel stocks, she said.
"Airlines are not obliged to share this information to us," she said, noting the need to respect commercial confidentiality.
In the event of last-minute cancellations, the guidance covers passengers' entitlement to reimbursement, re-routing or return, airport assistance and compensation. Airlines may be exempt from financial compensation if a cancellation was caused by an extraordinary circumstance such as local fuel shortages.
"Cancellations caused by exceptionally high fuel prices, as opposed to local fuel shortages, cannot be considered as constituting 'extraordinary circumstances'," the commission said.
