Germany plans penalties for airlines that violate the EU’s anti-tankering rule.

According to media reports, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport — the national department responsible for transportation policy — is preparing legislation to enforce the EU’s existing ReFuelEU Aviation regulation. The refueling requirement is therefore not a new German policy.

On an annual average, airlines must uplift at least 90% of the fuel required for flights departing from each covered EU airport. The requirement is generally calculated over the course of a year rather than applied separately to every flight.

The rule is intended to curb so-called tankering. This occurs when airlines load extra fuel at a cheaper airport for use on later flights.

Carrying the additional weight increases fuel consumption and emissions. Separately, the EU has required increasing minimum shares of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, since 2025.

Fuel suppliers are generally responsible for meeting the SAF blending mandate, while airlines are responsible for complying with the anti-tankering rule. The shorthand claim that airlines must refuel “mainly in the EU” is therefore imprecise.

The rule concerns where fuel is loaded onto the aircraft, not where the fuel was produced. SAF produced outside Europe may also qualify under EU rules.

The measure is primarily an enforcement and competition rule designed to prevent tankering, not a stand-alone solution to aviation emissions. For airlines, it may mean higher fuel and administrative costs, less flexibility to refuel at cheaper locations, and financial penalties for noncompliance.

Over time, these pressures could raise ticket prices or encourage more connections through hubs outside Europe. Exceptions may apply because of safety requirements, supply disruptions, and certain short routes.

The rule also applies only to the airports and airlines covered by the EU regulation.