What initially sounds like an abstract industry topic has very concrete effects on Business Travel, Travel Planning and Company Processes.

From a business travel management perspective, a kerosene shortage is no longer a theoretical scenario, but a Operational Risk, which has a direct impact on the availability, cost, and predictability of business travel.

The current situation: What the facts show

Several developments suggest that companies will have to prepare for a more sophisticated environment in business travel management:

• Trade associations such as IATA and ACI Europe warned since spring 2026 of critically low jet fuel stocks at individual European locations. In certain regions, projected ranges are now only a few weeks.
• Airlines are already reacting actively, including flight cancellations, frequency adjustments or the temporary reduction of certain routes. This affects not only peripheral connections but also established European routes. The key point is that these measures are not being taken due to weak demand, but because of Fuel availability and cost trends.
• Market watchers expect ticket prices to continue rising. and an increase in short-notice flight schedule changes. European and short-haul traffic are particularly affected by this – exactly the segment that is particularly relevant for business travel.

These developments are not occurring uniformly across all airports and airlines. This is precisely what makes the situation complex and difficult to predict.

What does this mean for companies specifically?

For businesses, this means one thing above all:
Business travel is once again being more strongly influenced by external factors that cannot be controlled in the short term.

What was once taken for granted – stable flight schedules, predictable prices, high availability – is no longer a given. The consequences are evident throughout the entire value chain:

• Terms and meetings must be postponed or adjusted at short notice.
• Project plans come under pressure when key personnel cannot travel as planned
• Internal voting effort is increasing, particularly between departments, travel management and the assistant function.
• Business travellers are experiencing more uncertainty and organisational stress.

In short: Decreasing planning security affects not only travel but business operations as a whole.

Why professional business travel management is particularly valuable now

especially in a volatile environment, it's not about avoiding all disruptions – but rather professional handling of them.
This is where the central added value of structured, experienced business travel support lies.

A professional business travel partner supports companies in various ways, including:

• Realistic assessment of availabilities and risks instead of optimistic assumptions
• early, well-informed booking decisions, to reduce dependencies
• Demonstrate robust alternatives, for instance, when it comes to routes, connecting journeys or travel times
• active support for short-term changes, including rebooking, communication, and problem-solving

For companies, this means fewer ad-hoc reactions and more proactive control.

A new role in business travel

In this environment, the role of the business travel partner is changing noticeably.
The classical booking service provider is increasingly becoming a Risk Manager and Sparring Partner in Travel Management.

It's no longer just about handling travel efficiently, but about observing developments, placing them in the right context, and developing appropriate courses of action together with the client.

This partnership role builds trust – and that is precisely what becomes the decisive factor in uncertain phases.

In short – your advantage as a company

A professionally managed business travel approach offers tangible benefits, especially now:

• less internal coordination effort
• Enhanced security for appointments, projects, and customer contacts
• Better decision-making for booking and planning
• Business trips, which to function reliably even under difficult conditions

Business travel will therefore not become a factor of uncertainty, but will remain a stable component of corporate governance.

Final question for business travel managers and decision-makers

Is your travel strategy prepared for external bottlenecks such as kerosene availability, capacity adjustments and short-term changes?
Or do you still react predominantly on an ad hoc basis?