Europe’s airport industry group has warned that the continent could face a systemic jet fuel shortage ​in three weeks unless the Strait of Hormuz opens up, calling for urgent ‌EU-wide action to secure supplies ahead of the peak summer travel season.

In a letter to the European Commission dated April 9, the Airports Council International Europe (ACI) said a fuel crunch would “significantly harm ​the European economy,” compounding the macroeconomic impact of rising oil prices triggered by ​the Middle East conflict.

The Financial Times was first to report on ⁠the letter on Friday. The Commission did not immediately respond to a request for ​comment.

Air connectivity contributes 851 billion euros ($997.03 billion) in gross domestic product annually for European economies and ​supports 14 million jobs, with airports handling 26% of Europe’s exports by value, based on data up to 2019 from an ACI study.

A meeting of the European Commission’s oil coordination group this week showed ​there was currently no EU-wide mapping, assessment or monitoring of jet fuel production ​and availability, ACI director general Olivier Jankovec said in the letter.

The body has asked the Commission to step in and ‌map ⁠current and projected jet fuel availabilities against needs, identify alternative import sources, assess threats to intra-EU fuel flows, and evaluate commercial and strategic reserve levels.

Jet fuel prices have more than doubled to $150 to $200 per barrel in recent weeks, a financial hit for an ​industry where fuel accounts ​for up to ⁠a quarter of operating expenses.

The letter also called for a series of immediate policy interventions, including the temporary lifting of import restrictions ​on jet fuel, namely those under the EU’s new methane ​regulation, which ⁠will come into force in January 2027.

Jankovec warned the rules had already been discouraging third-country fuel sellers from signing supply contracts for this summer.

The body also suggested collective EU purchasing of jet ⁠fuel ​and targeted refinery obligations to safeguard production and include ​airports, airlines and ground handlers in state aid in response to the crisis.