Airlines in Japan are struggling to obtain enough jet fuel while some overseas air carriers have dropped plans to increase the number of flights to Japan due to a shortage of the fuel amid a booming tourist season. Eneos Holdings, Japan’s top refiner, has been overwhelmed by airline demand for more supply and is currently working with the government to boost the availability of jet fuel in the country, a spokesperson for the company told Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Airlines and airports have had difficulties in increasing the number of international flights due to the jet fuel shortage, sources from industry and the government told Kyodo this weekend. “We are prioritizing the increased demand from existing customers and cannot adequately respond to plans for new international routes or sudden increases in flights,” a source at a petroleum refiner told Kyodo. The shortage of workers at airports has also exacerbated the problem, according to officials.