The Middle East war has virtually paralysed the Strait of Hormuz, which is the major shipping route for oil, driving up the prices of crude and related products.

IATA director general Willie Walsh told Singaporean reporters that it was hard to tell how long it would take to replenish fuel reserves but that “it would not happen any time soon.”

“It will not be until a few months have passed,” he said, before supply can be restored to where it must be with the disturbance of the refining capacity in the Middle East.

“I do not believe that it will occur within weeks,” added Walsh.

The oil prices crashed on 8th April after the United States and Iran agreed on a two-week ceasefire, and Tehran will temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The truce was brokered just an hour before the Wednesday deadline, when US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran, which was due to run out.

Tehran subsequently claimed to have accepted a safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is transported.

“Even when you get the flow of crude going again, when you’ve had trouble with refining capacity, then the trouble takes some time to clear off,” Walsh said.

“Nor do I believe that the concentration in some areas of the world was well understood by all,” he said.

Past experience shows that the aviation industry will respond to higher oil prices by raising ticket prices, he said. “It’s inevitable.”

“Although part of the air traffic that would have flown over the Middle East has flown to non-regional airlines, this is a short-term problem,” Walsh said.

“There’s no way they can replace the capacity that was provided by the Gulf carriers,” he added.

“I believe that the Gulf hubs will recover very swiftly as well.”