Jet fuel is currently in short supply at Zurich, prompting the Swiss government to fly to the airport’s rescue.
The reason for the airport’s jet fuel woes is not so much a shortage of petrol, but disrupted transport and supply logistics instead.
Petrol reaches Zurich via Germany either by the Rhine or by rail, with both routes experiencing capacity and delay problems.
During the persistent drought which affected much of Europe during the summer, the water in the Rhine had dropped to historically low levels and has not yet fully recovered.
This situation has disrupted the fuel supply, as tankers and barges are forced to sail with smaller loads to be able to navigate shallow sections of the river.
To relieve this route, some of the fuel is also transported by rail, but that too has experienced a number of difficulties.
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Government to the rescue
“Due to low water levels on the Rhine, the transport of other goods has been shifted to the already heavily burdened rail network, making it impossible to compensate for the missed deliveries in a timely manner,” the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES) said.
Also, “significant cancellations and delays in rail freight – particularly on access lines from Germany – are hindering the supply of jet fuel to Zurich Airport,”
To prevent disruptions to flight operations at the airport, FONES has therefore “temporarily authorised the withdrawal of limited volumes of fuel from its mandatory reserves” covering 4.5 months (about 135 days) of normal consumption.
Specifically, withdrawals of up to 30,000 cubic metres are permitted for a limited time – between October 15th and November 1st, 2026, FONES said.
And in case you are wondering, FONES doesn’t physically stockpile fuel in one specific warehouse; instead, it contracts approximately 280 private oil importers and refineries to store and regularly replenish these reserves on the government’s behalf.
Why is Zurich experiencing supply problems but Switzerland’s other international airports – Geneva and Basel – aren’t?
This is because they use different supply channels.
Zurich relies heavily on river and rail transport via Germany, but the two other airports don’t.
They use regional supply chains and transport networks that bypass the northern transit corridor – and seem to be far more reliable.
Will Switzerland experience fuel shortages?
FONES concedes that “Switzerland’s supply of petrol, diesel, and heating oil has deteriorated,” though it emphases that, overall, “it remains secure.”
READ MORE: Could Switzerland experience fuel shortages this autumn?
