THE closure of the Strait of Hormuz has resulted in the soaring price of jet fuel, which had led to fears of shortages across Europe.
Now, easyJet has issued an update for its passengers with growing fears that holidays could be affected from mid-May.
Javier Gándara, easyJet CEO for Spain and Portugal, has said that while the airline is continuing to operate as planned now, beyond three or four weeks and it’s “difficult to see” what will happen.
The three-week warning means easyJet passengers could face disruption from as soon as May 12.
However, Mr Gándara then added: “In Spain, we are in a comparatively better situation than neighbouring countries for two reasons.
“Firstly, because of all the crude oil that is imported and then refined here, only 11 per cent comes from the Middle East, which is the percentage affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; the remaining 89 per cent comes from elsewhere.”
But he did warn that “if there are problems in other countries, that ends up affecting flights to Spain.”
And said “no one will be immune to potential supply problems.”
This comes after a warning was issued by TUI yesterday.
The travel giant said it is “monitoring” jet fuel shortages as a result of the Iran war, for all passengers flying from May 1.
On social media, one worried traveller asked the airline: “With the reported jet fuel shortages are you expecting holidays from May 1 to be affected?”
TUI responded: “We’re closely monitoring the developing situation in the Middle East and its potential impact on global aviation fuel supplies.
“At present, we’re not anticipating any immediate disruption to our flight schedules or holiday programmes from fuel shortages.“
The holiday chaos is caused from the ongoing Iran-US conflict with warnings that Europe could face jet fuel shortages due to the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed.
It was revealed earlier this month that airports could run out of jet fuel within weeks.
The ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said the key trade route must open within three weeks or fuel reserves will run drastically low.
As a result, a number of major airlines have been cancelling flights in preparation for shortages.
United Airlines said that five per cent of flights would be cancelled in the second and third quarters of 2026.
SAS was the first major airline in Europe to axe flights because of of the cost of fuel going up.
Dutch airline KLM has cancelled 160 flights for the coming month, but has said it will affect less than 1 per cent of its schedule.
Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific has confirmed that two per cent of passenger flights will be cancelled from May 16 to June 30.
Air New Zealand announced in March that it will be cutting back on flights over the next two months.
And Norse announced it would remove all flights from London Gatwick to LA.
Others, like Virgin Atlantic as well as Air France and KLM have added surcharge to tickets to offset the rising price in jet fuel.
What does this mean for your upcoming holiday?
1. How will this affect my holiday?
Getaways should not be seriously impacted immediately as airlines bought fuel far in advance at a fixed rate.
But if the crisis continues into June, operators may start adding a surcharge to holiday prices.
A limited number of flights may be cancelled, but mostly on well-served routes with alternatives.
If supplies start to dry up, cancellations would increase.
2. Am I entitled to a refund?
IF some or all of your holiday is cancelled by the provider, your refund depends on whether you booked your trip as a package holiday, or individually.
Your money tends to be much better protected with a package deal.
3. Is now a bad time to book?
There are some great deals, but book with caution.
You must take out travel insurance as, if your flight is cancelled, you may have protection against the cost of other elements of your holiday, such as accommodation.
Despite the chaos, Egypt resorts have dropped prices by 70 per cent with mega cheap all-inclusive deals – as Brit avoid it.
And if you’re anxious that your flight will be cancelled, here’s what to expect this summer.