Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. warned in a Bloomberg Television interview on Tuesday that grounding planes due to a critical jet fuel shortage is now a “distinct possibility.” The crisis is linked to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, which has disrupted fuel availability.
Several countries have already told Philippine airlines they can no longer refuel aircraft abroad, forcing carriers to carry enough fuel for both outbound and return trips.
Marcos said the situation is worsening due to crude oil shortages that are slowing jet fuel refining. According to the Department of Energy, the Philippines currently has about 38.62 days of jet fuel supply remaining. Gasoline reserves stand at 53.14 days, while diesel is at 45.82 days.
Budget carrier Cebu Pacific has begun responding by suspending some routes and reducing flight frequencies from April to October 2026. Fuel costs have more than doubled compared to 2025 averages, with fuel surcharges for April 1 to 15 bookings reaching Level 8. This has pushed domestic fares up to ₱787 and international fares to as high as ₱6,208.98.
To ease supply pressure, the Philippines is importing Russian crude for the first time in five years. The tanker Sara Sky is carrying 100,000 tonnes of ESPO Blend crude from Kozmino and is currently heading to Petron’s Bataan terminal in Limay.
Globally, aviation has been severely disrupted since the conflict began. Major Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi have been closed, stranding tens of thousands of passengers. At the same time, Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz continues to threaten energy supplies across Asia.
