HOLIDAYMAKERS could get stuck abroad this summer as up to 10 per cent of flights face cancellation if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned.
And the budget airline kingpin said that holidaymakers should book as soon as possible to avoid paying far higher prices.
The price of jet fuel has skyrocketed since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has left the vital shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz blocked.
Speaking to ITV News, the airline chief revealed that between five and 10 per cent of flights in May, June and July could be cancelled if the Strait remains closed.
The Ryanair chief explained: “We have aircraft that are based at 95 airports across Europe.
“And we’ll have to cancel routes at whichever airport where the fuel company advises us they’re short of jet fuel at, say, Malaga Airport or Athens Airport.
“It’ll be those kind of decisions. And we’ll get very little notice – we’ll be told, I think, within five or seven days.
“So we will then be looking around and we will be trying to ground one or two aircraft and minimise inconvenience for customers. But it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be challenging.”
O’Leary admitted that some holidaymakers may get stuck abroad due to flight cancellations, but noted that airlines have a responsibility to get you home.
He said: “Now, you won’t get compensation because it’s clearly beyond the airline’s control, but we will – and in Ryanair’s case we have lots of flights on a daily basis – we will re-accommodate you and get you back.
“You might be stuck for a day or two, but if you’re staying within Europe, you should be reasonably confident.”
Asked if it would be a “gamble” to book a summer holiday, O’Leary admitted “life is a gamble”.
He continued: “I think we’re looking at the risk of five or 10 per cent of cancellations in June or July, but 90 to 95 percent of flights will still operate.
“So, I think you’re really not taking much of a gamble. I would be much more concerned if you delay your booking, that actually you and your family will be paying much higher prices if you get to May, June, or July.”
The blame for any cancellations should be laid at the feet of the US President, not the airlines, the Irish airline boss added.
He added: “There doesn’t seem to be any exit plan at all. But we are where we are, blaming Trump is not going to get us anywhere.”
O’Leary said that this would be an “unknown scenario” for the airline industry and that “the sooner this war is over, the better”.
The new comments from the airline boss come after he said yesterday that jet fuel supplies could be disrupted as soon as May due to the new crisis in the Middle East.
Speaking to Sky News, the airline chief revealed that while Ryanair is “reasonably well hedged” on 80 per cent of its fuel, the company is being forced to shell out nearly double for the remaining 20 per cent.
O’Leary confirmed the airline is paying around $150 (€130) a barrel for the unhedged portion of its supplies.