A MAJOR airline in Europe has cancelled 1,000 flights next month due to soaring fuel costs caused by the Iran crisis.
Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) is the second airline to do so, following Air New Zealand.
While the majority will be shorter domestic routes, some other longer routes could also be affected.
The main flights affected are across Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
In a statement, the airline said: “Given the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the sharp and sudden increase in global fuel prices, we are taking measures to strengthen our resilience.”
“One such measure is a limited number of short-term flight cancellations.”
SAS CEO Anko van der Werff told local media: “The price of jet fuel has doubled in ten days.
“Even if we try to absorb cost hikes as far as we can this is a shock that strikes directly at the aviation industry.”
He confirmed hundreds of flights have already been cancelled this month, although urged that it was a fraction of their usual 800 flights a day.
He added: “We are cancelling a few hundred flights in March, but trying to protect our traffic as much as possible.”
More are expected to be affected after the Easter holidays.
The airline has also confirmed that they have increased flight prices, one of the first to do so in response to the conflict and alongside Qantas and Cathay Pacific.
SAS is the first major airline in Europe to axe flights because of of the cost of fuel going up.
This has been caused by the Iran conflict, with fears of it continuing due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route.
Earlier this month, Air New Zealand also confirmed they would be cancelling flights due to fuel costs.
The airline’s chief executive of Nikhil Ravishankar said the five per cent reduction in flights would last until May.
This works out to around 44,000 passengers, with the majority of services affected being short haul and domestic.
Most UK airlines are not currently affected due to a process called ‘hedging’ where they pay a set price for oil.
IAG – who owns British Airways – confirmed that 80 per cent of fuel was hedged for month.
Ryanair echoed this, saying that 84 per cent was hedged for the current quarter.
However, they could still be affected if the Iran conflict continues.
Before the conflict, prices were around $90 (£67) per barrel. This has now increased to as much as $200 (£149) per barrel.
We’ve explained what the Iran crisis means for your holiday.
And here are the European destinations booming in demand due to the ongoing conflict.
