UPDATE 1-Italy has enough jet fuel until end-May, transport minister says

Italy's ​jet fuel reserves are enough to ‌cover ​airport operations at least until the end of May, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday, while urging the ‌European Union to loosen its budget rules to let governments respond to the energy crisis.

Italy's ​jet fuel reserves are enough to ‌cover ​airport operations at least until the end of May, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday, while urging the ‌European Union to loosen its budget rules to let governments respond to the energy crisis. Europe's imports of jet fuel from the Middle East have been disrupted by the ‌Iran war, raising concerns about a supply crunch before the peak summer travel ‌season.

The price of jet fuel has risen nearly 84% since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, but carriers have been largely riding out the crisis so far. "The ⁠jet ​fuel reserves available ⁠in Italy are sufficient to ensure operations at least until the end of May," Salvini said during ⁠a question time session in the lower house of parliament.

"We are monitoring the fuel ​supply chain at both national and European level to ensure that the system ⁠continues to operate without disruption, at least throughout the summer," he also said. Salvini, who leads the far-right ⁠eurosceptic ​League party, said Italy had more fuel reserves than most other European countries and was not facing an emergency, but nevertheless called for swift action from ⁠Brussels.

He renewed Italian calls for a review of the ETS carbon-permit scheme, saying it would ⁠help lower ⁠energy bills across the EU, and said the bloc needed to give budget leeway to nations grappling with the economic fallout ‌of the ‌war.