Facing potential flight cancellations due to kerosene shortages, air cargo companies are demanding preferential fuel allocation. Claus Wagner, chairman of the Association of Air Cargo Handlers Germany (VACAD), warned to the “Welt am Sonntag” that they might face a situation in Germany requiring rationed kerosene, similar to what is happening in Italy. He cautioned that this could replicate the scenario experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, predicting that smaller airports would eventually see severely restricted or no flights at all.
Wagner further warned that a decline in cargo capacity, especially at decentralized airports, could have “significant repercussions for the German industrial supply chains”. Christopher Stoller, president of the Aircargo Club Deutschland (ACD), stressed the necessity of prioritizing the supply to air cargo logistics if kerosene resources become scarce, stating that “the air cargo sector acts as a critical backbone of global supply chains and industrial added value. Ensuring economic stability must be the primary objective”.
According to aviation expert Heinrich Großbongardt, the European kerosene supply faces a potential shortage gap of up to 100,000 tons of fuel per day due to insufficient refinery capacity-an amount equivalent to 20,000 medium-haul flights daily. Großbongardt told the “Welt am Sonntag” that “kerosene triage” could occur in Germany during the summer, forcing Berlin and Brussels to decide which flights receive priority fuel allocation.
