Philippines may ground flights to tide over widening jet fuel crisis

The Philippines says grounding planes due to a shortage of jet fuel brought on by the war in Iran is a “distinct possibility”, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.“Several countries have already told our airlines they cannot fuel their aircraft, so they have to carry fuel there and back,” Marcos said in an interview on Tuesday. “Long haul is going to be a much more serious problem.”Asked whether, inevitably, planes may have to be grounded, Marcos said, “We’re hoping not, but it’s a distinct possibility.”Airlines in Asia are mapping out contingency plans as the escalating Middle East conflict threatens to trigger the worst oil shock since the 1970s. Because the Philippines relies heavily on imported crude – much of it sourced from the Middle East – it is more highly exposed than other nations in Asia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="656" data-entity-type="location">Southeast Asia to energy shortages and spiralling domestic fuel prices.Philippine budget carrier Cebu Air on Monday said it plans to reduce flights beginning next month because of surging fuel prices caused by the Middle East crisis, according to a statement.Elsewhere in Asia, Vietnam Airlines is temporarily suspending flights on some domestic routes while VietJet Aviation is reducing the frequency of flights. Another Vietnamese carrier, Bamboo Airways, said it will try to maintain flights during peak travel periods but has advised services may be fewer than last year if oil prices stay high.02:56Workers across Asia feel squeeze as fuel prices skyrocket