Narita International Airport Corporation, the operator of Tokyo Narita Airport, will use its infrastructure to import jet fuel from overseas for the first time amid a nationwide shortage of jet fuel, Bloomberg reported on July 11, 2024. Japan’s trading house Itochu will help secure fuel from South Korea, TV Asahi reported the next day.
According to the reports, the trading company will arrange for the fuel to be delivered to the Port of Chiba Oil Terminal, which is owned and operated by the Narita International Airport Corporation group, on behalf of undisclosed foreign airline(s). The fuel will then be transported to the airport using an existing pipeline.
While Japanese airports typically procure jet fuel from domestic refineries, recently they have not been able to do so due to labor shortages in the supply chain and other reasons. The domestically produced jet fuel is generally transported from refineries to airports by trucks and ships.
The ongoing shortage has caused multiple airlines to halt their plans to launch or expand flights to Japanese airports. At a press conference held in June 2024, Narita Airport said six airlines could not launch 57 weekly flights due to the issue. It was also reported that Qantas postponed plans to potentially resume Sydney – Sapporo flights for the same reason.
Believing the supply chain disruptions can become a longer-term issue and the fuel shortage has the potential to considerably impact inbound tourism, a public-private task force set up by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been discussing ways to mitigate the shortage since June 2024. The Nikkei later reported that as an emergency measure, the government will secure three tankers to start importing fuel from other countries.
Hokkaido Airports, the operator of seven airports in Hokkaido, is mulling offering a landing fee discount to foreign airlines that arrive at its airports with enough fuel to cover the return part of their trip.
