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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) \u2014 The war in Iran is driving up jet fuel prices<\/a> and worsening supply strains for African airlines, forcing carriers to review routes and raising fresh concerns about the stability of the continent\u2019s aviation network.<\/p>\n The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) says the crisis has exposed its heavy dependence on imported refined jet fuel, leaving airlines vulnerable to global shocks.<\/p>\n African carriers were already paying about 17% more for jet fuel than the global average before the Iran war, according to AFRAA. The new price pressures are adding to already thin margins across the sector.<\/p>\n \u201cThe impact is dire and a major shock for our members,\u201d AFRAA Secretary-General Abderahmane Berthe told The Associated Press. \u201cFuel represents between 30% and 40% of airlines\u2019 operating costs. Any increase directly affects their balance sheets.\u201d<\/p>\n The aviation industry is closely watching the Strait of Hormuz,<\/a> a key global energy corridor through which about one-fifth of the world\u2019s oil and fuel flowed before Iran effectively closed it for shipping at the start of the war in February.<\/p>\n For African airlines, the effects are amplified by structural constraints, including higher procurement costs and a weaker ability to absorb shocks.<\/p>\n Berthe said some carriers have introduced fuel surcharges, but most cannot pass on the full increase to passengers, forcing them to absorb losses.<\/p>\n \u201cThey cannot pass these costs to passengers as this will affect demand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Supply disruptions have also raised concerns at major hubs including Nairobi, Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where consistent jet fuel availability is critical to regional and international operations, Berthe said.<\/p>\n Some airlines have already begun adjusting networks, cutting frequencies and reviewing routes to manage rising costs and fuel uncertainty, he said.<\/p>\n The crisis has renewed calls for Africa to strengthen domestic refining capacity and reduce reliance on imported jet fuel.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need African solutions,\u201d Berthe said. \u201cMany African countries produce oil, but we still depend on non-African suppliers for refined jet fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n