NAIROBI, Kenya — The war in Iran is driving up jet fuel prices and worsening supply strains for African airlines, the African Airlines Association said Thursday, forcing carriers to review routes and raising fresh concerns about the stability of the continent’s aviation network.
The African Airlines Association, known as AFRAA, said the crisis has exposed the sector’s heavy dependence on imported refined jet fuel, leaving carriers vulnerable to global shocks. The group warned that the new price pressures are adding to already thin margins across the industry.
African carriers were already paying about 17% more for jet fuel than the global average before the Iran conflict, according to AFRAA. The conflict has compounded that disadvantage as global energy markets have tightened.
“The impact is dire and a major shock for our members,” AFRAA Secretary-General Abderahmane Berthe told the Associated Press. “Fuel represents between 30% and 40% of airlines’ operating costs. Any increase directly affects their balance sheets.”
The group’s warning comes as the Iran war, now in its fourth month, continues to roil global energy markets. The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for oil and refined fuel shipments, pushing up prices worldwide.
The cost pressures add to the challenges facing African aviation, which has struggled to recover fully from the pandemic. Many carriers operate on thin margins and have limited capacity to absorb sudden cost increases. The fuel price shock raises the prospect of higher fares, disrupted schedules, or route cancellations across the continent.
The continent’s refineries produce only a fraction of the jet fuel African airlines consume, AFRAA has said in previous reports, making the sector particularly sensitive to disruptions in global supply chains.