South Africa’s airports facing jet fuel crisis

Concerns are being raised about the long-term effects of the war in the Middle East on South Africa’s supply of jet fuel and its associated costs.

Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on 28 February 2026, the price of Jet A1 fuel in South Africa has risen by around R8 per litre to almost R30 per litre.

Since South Africa does not have the capacity to refine jet fuel itself, it relies on imports to supply its airports.

This forced some of the country’s airlines to raise prices on flights in order to cover these costs, such as FlySafair’s introduction of a temporary dynamic fuel surcharge on 11 March.

While the surcharge originally added an estimated R167 to one-way flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town, this rose to almost R800 for these flights as of 21 April.

The airline announced a slight reduction in this surcharge on 23 April for the second consecutive week, in line with downward movement in the price of Jet A1 fuel.

“While the reductions are encouraging, Jet A1 pricing remains more than double pre-conflict levels,” FlySafair said. “The surcharge will remain in place until prices stabilise at sustainable levels.”

FlySafair originally set a cut-off date of 12 May for the surcharge in the hopes the conflict would be short-lived, but this date has now been extended to 21 August.

In an interview with 702, aviation analyst Guy Leitch explained that many airlines set prices months in advance, assuming fuel supplies will remain safe.

“Airline tickets are often sold six months to a year in advance, and those prices get locked in,” Leitch said. “Airlines are keen to have some security as to what the fuel prices might be going forward.”

“We’re looking at a price increase from about R11.50 to R28, which is horrendous. Airlines typically spend about 30% to 35% of their total operating costs on fuel, so it’s going to be with us for quite some time.”

Uncertainty around jet fuel stocks

Aside from the issue of jet fuel prices and their effect on flight costs, others have questioned whether the country has sufficient supply for the coming months.

The Airline Association of Southern Africa (AASA) called on the South African government to provide more clarity on the country’s current jet fuel stockpile.

In a statement released on 24 April, AASA CEO Aaron Munetsi explained that several critical refineries in the Gulf region had sustained damage as a result of the war.

These refineries may take several months to be repaired before they can operate at full capacity again, even beyond a potential lifting of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

“This is why we need transparent updates on fuel stocks, including what has been ordered but must still be delivered,” Munetsi said.

“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.”

In response to AASA’s request for clarity, the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) reportedly said the country still had a stable supply of jet fuel.

O.R. Tambo International Airport holds an estimated 5 to 6 days of jet fuel, while Cape Town International holds just 4 to 5. King Shaka International reportedly has more than 15 days of jet fuel cover.

While some of the country’s airlines have said they should have sufficient supply until mid-June, uncertainty over the availability of jet fuel past that point has been growing.

Munetsi explained to SABC News how some airlines are implementing measures to cut back on fuel usage in response to growing concerns over fuel supply.

“Instead of flying two aircraft, which are 50% full, they would rather consolidate those and only fly one,” Munetsi said. “This conserves fuel in both directions from whichever airports they are taking off from and arriving at.”

“It also helps them to make sure that they are able to keep costs at a minimum, thereby making sure the passenger benefits from the constrained costs.”

However, Munetsi said this can incur higher costs for the airline due to the grounding of aircraft which are scheduled to fly.