"Japan in Turmoil: 'We Might Not Be Able to Fly Planes' as It Pushes for Fuel Imports from Korea"

Expected Increase in Air Travel Demand
Fuel Supply System Not Established
Concerns Rise Due to Labor Shortage

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Japan, experiencing a severe shortage of aviation fuel, is pushing forward with plans to import fuel from South Korea, where there are available stocks.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported on the 11th that Japan is facing such a serious aviation fuel shortage that new airline routes and additional flights have been delayed, and is therefore pursuing a plan to import fuel from South Korea, which has inventory.

According to the report, the Japanese government plans to secure three additional transport tankers operating within Japan. Additional tanker trucks for fuel transportation will also be deployed. Furthermore, a policy will be introduced to promptly relay information about increased flights at each airport to petroleum vendors so that production plans can be adjusted accordingly.

In Japan, the consolidation of petroleum processing companies and a worsening labor shortage have disrupted the smooth supply of aviation fuel. The company operating Narita International Airport reported that in late last month, there were 57 cases over one week where new routes and additional flights were postponed due to fuel shortages, according to Nikkei. The report also stated that in May, Hiroshima Prefecture in western Honshu conducted a survey on aviation fuel with foreign airlines operating at Hiroshima Airport, and three companies responded that they were experiencing difficulties.

Nikkei pointed out, "With an expected increase in air travel demand, many companies want to increase flights to Japan," adding, "If the fuel supply system is not adequately established and the labor shortage persists, it could impact Japan's overall economic growth, so countermeasures are necessary."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.