![\"Ground](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4JR5Y7T_AFP__20260322__wlodarczyk_tripacro251029_nptG9__v1__HighRes__JourneyThroughEuropeArc_jpg.jpeg\")
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\nA file photo of a British Airways plane being refuelled.
\nPhoto: AFP \/ NurPhoto \/ Mateusz Wlodarczyk\n<\/p>\n
There are concerns some Asian countries are beginning to hoard jet fuel as the Iran conflict drags on.<\/p>\n
News outlet Bloomberg has reported the South Korean government is discussing whether to redirect export-bound jet fuel to the domestic market amid mounting supply pressures.<\/p>\n
South Korea is a major source of refined fuel imports to New Zealand, providing around half of the country’s fuel, and South Korea itself relies heavily on crude oil imports from the war-disrupted Middle East.<\/p>\n
Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said some Asian refineries were now running short of crude oil feedstock, and airlines were being asked to carry more fuel for their return flights.<\/p>\n
“This affects all categories of refined product – diesel is high-profile, petrol [as well],” Eckhold said. “But it’s also quite relevant for jet fuel, particularly South Korea which is a relatively important refiner of jet fuel,” he said.<\/p>\n
Eckhold said anecdotal reports from Asia suggest that some airlines were also being asked to carry enough fuel for their return flights.<\/p>\n
“Philippine Airlines were apparently asked to do that by a couple of countries … that have apparently advised flights that they should not expect to be able to get a lot of jet fuel when they arrive, because they’re obviously trying to conserve the stocks that they already have,” he said.<\/p>\n
“What most countries are doing here is they are trying to prioritise enough stock so that they could operate their domestic schedules and their flagship international airlines.”<\/p>\n
He said that would be the priority here, with Air New Zealand<\/a> and Jetstar<\/a> already announcing plans to refine schedules in response to the crisis.<\/p>\n Eckhold said even the west coast of the United States was not immune, because it got most of its jet fuel from South Korea.<\/p>\n