cancellations

Soaring jet fuel prices and the threat to supplies – amid the Middle East war – has left millions of Brits worrying about whether their summer holiday plans will be disrupted

May could mark the peak in flights being axed due to the Iran war, an expert has declared.

Families were urged not to panic about their summer getaway, despite fears over jet fuel shortages. Data shows airlines have cut 13,000 flights globally this month due to the conflict in the Middle East. In total, nearly two million seats have been removed from flights scheduled for May.

The reductions come ahead of the half-term holidays at the end of the month. Many people have been left worrying what will happen to holiday flights already booked over the peak months ahead.

Aviation analyst John Strickland insisted the 13,000 flights pulled this month amount to about 1% or 2% of all those scheduled. And he warned against assuming the same number – or more – would be impacted in the coming months.

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“You can’t judge May against the peak summer,” Mr Strickland told the Mirror. “Airlines want to fly their full programme – this is not a wholesale chopping of flights that would disrupt people’s summer holiday plans.”

Mr Strickland said airlines were “relatively confident” they will have enough jet fuel available on a rolling six-week basis, with signs that additional supplies are being sourced from the US and elsewhere to replace those lost from the Gulf.

Some carriers have switched to smaller aircraft or more fuel efficient planes to brace themselves for possible disruption, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. It says 120 scheduled flights from the UK to global destinations have so far been cancelled in May. While it is still early days, the number of cancellations in June stands at 36, out of just under 22,000 scheduled flights.

It comes after the price of jet fuel doubled in the wake of the US-Israel war with Iran which erupted at the end of February. The conflict has crippled shipments through the key Strait of Hormuz.

German airline Lufthansa has axed 20,000 flights, and warned higher jet fuel prices could cost it £1.5billion this year. It joined around two dozen airlines that have now scaled back operations.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said at the start of April his airline may be forced to cancel 10% of its flights this summer. He told ITV News: “We’re all facing an unknown scenario. And we are certainly looking at maybe having to cancel 5% to 10% of flights through May, June and July.”

British Airways owner IAG is due to issue updated results on Friday.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was confident most people travelling this summer would have a similar experience to last year. She said there was currently no disruption to the supply of jet fuel, but “this clearly is an evolving situation”.

Oil prices slumped to two-week lows on Wednesday amid reports that the US and Iran were nearing an initial peace deal. Brent crude fell 7% to $102 a barrel – down a recent peak of more than $120 but still well above the $60 before the war started.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “It is understandable that holidaymakers are feeling apprehensive about their summer travel plans due to the wave of cancellations.

“The percentage of flights cancelled from the UK remains small, when you consider that the worst airlines cancel over 2% of flights less than a day before departure, even in normal times.

“Our advice for this summer is to book a package holiday, as that is the best way to protect the full cost of your holiday should greater disruption occur.”

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade body ABTA, said: “We really don’t want people worrying about their holidays; planes are taking off daily and people are continuing to get away on their holidays.

“The Government and airlines are clear that there isn’t a problem with fuel supply. If you have a holiday booked in for the coming months – including the May half term – we expect it to go ahead as planned.

“Whilst there have been reports about cancellations globally, these amount to less than one percent of overall flights.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to ‘level with’ the public as jet fuel shortages continue to affect airlines

British holidaymakers are set to be warned by ministers to prepare for potential flight cancellations. The anticipated warning follows concerns from airline bosses about possible jet fuel supply shortages affecting the UK from as early as next month.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is reportedly preparing to “level with” the public this weekend about the likelihood of disruption and cancellations this summer. She is also expected to outline contingency measures designed to minimise the fallout – as six tourist hotspots have reportedly been identified as being at risk of cancellations.

Government officials are drawing up plans to advise against long-haul travel to specific destinations should tensions in Iran escalate dramatically. Countries including Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Myanmar and Ethiopia could be affected, sources told the Times.

Ministers are also set to highlight the “positives” of staycations as anxiety mounts over overseas bookings. A number of major European carriers have recently sounded the alarm about looming jet fuel shortages in the coming weeks, citing disruption to their primary supply route through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to UKOilWatch, Britain currently holds just 34 days’ worth of jet fuel reserves. Roughly three-quarters of Europe’s jet fuel originates from the Middle East and passes through the Strait of Hormuz off Iran. Heathrow Airport confirmed on Wednesday that it anticipates passenger figures for the remainder of the year will be impacted by Middle Eastern tensions.

Lufthansa Group plans to axe 20,000 flights over the next six months in a bid to conserve fuel. Meanwhile, other carriers including Virgin Atlantic have introduced a fuel surcharge, and British Airways has cautioned passengers about potential “pricing adjustments” to their tickets.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, also suggested this week that Brits might need to reconsider “where they go on holiday”. Government ministers insist the UK isn’t currently facing jet fuel shortages, as alternative supply sources remain available.

Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, revealed to The Times that competitors are “desperately” hunting for flights to axe, with cancellations expected to begin within weeks. According to the newspaper, leading fuel suppliers are informing airlines that the UK has the “most limited visibility” across Europe regarding jet fuel availability, largely due to its heavy dependence on Middle Eastern imports.

These suppliers reportedly anticipate May will be manageable. Yet they warn that “mid to late June as the potential start of disruptions” if the Strait of Hormuz near Iran remains closed.

Ryanair and Jet2 reassure passengers

O’Leary explained: “There is a modest improvement in the supply situation through to the end of May, early June, but then nobody would give us any undertakings what happens in mid-June or thereafter.”

He confirmed Ryanair wouldn’t be slashing flights. However, he predicted that other prominent European carriers more “exposed” to soaring costs would likely begin scrapping routes, saying: “They are all desperately trying to take out marginal flights or any growth because they don’t have the fuel for it.

“We were worried there would be disruption to around 10 per cent of our flights but some of those worries have eased because other European airlines have taken out lots of capacity.” It comes as Jet2 has revealed that holidaymakers are increasingly making last-minute bookings following the outbreak of the Iran war, with growing concerns about the conflict’s impact and potential disruptions to jet fuel supplies.

The company reported that summer passenger bookings are currently up 6.2%, driven by growth in both its airline and package holiday operations. However, highlighting rising unease amongst travellers, it noted that the “booking profile has become increasingly close to departure” as a result of the Middle East conflict.

Jet2 confirmed it has strong protection against fuel cost increases triggered by the Iran war for the crucial summer period. It said it is “maintaining frequent dialogue with our fuel suppliers and airport partners on fuel supply”.

British refineries have meanwhile been instructed to maximise jet fuel production as part of government contingency measures amid concerns that the Iran war could lead to aircraft being grounded. Energy minister Michael Shanks said the government is closely monitoring UK jet fuel stocks and liaising with airlines, airports, fuel suppliers and international partners.

“UK airlines typically buy fuel months in advance, and aviation fuel suppliers hold bunkered stocks. The UK imports jet fuel supplies from a range of countries not reliant on the strait, including the United States,” Shanks stated in a ministerial announcement. “Airlines UK have stated that ‘UK airlines continue to operate normally and are not experiencing issues with jet fuel supply.’ The government continues to work with partners to monitor and mitigate potential disruptions,” Shanks added.

AN AIRLINE that recently axed flights has warned Brits to expect more cancellations in the future.

Earlier this month, Norse Atlantic axed all its flights from London Gatwick to Los Angeles in America due to rising fuel prices.

And now the airline has warned of even more cancellations.

Eivind Roald, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways, said to BBC Newsnight: “From our side we will continue flying from London Gatwick and from Athens and Rome this summer, we don’t have any plans to cancel more flights.

“When it comes to our competitors, I can’t really say, I assume you will see more cancellations coming, we often see it coming in short haul flights in Europe.

“The long haul flights are still there.”

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He also said that travellers “will see that things will be changed” including some companies’ “existence”.

The CEO then added that he was confident jet fuel prices would fall in six to nine months time.

Even though the airline hasn’t announced more cancellations yet, the London Gatwick to Los Angeles route was only introudced by the airline in 2023.

And at that time, it operated seven flights per week from London Gatwick to Los Angeles.

The route was due to re-start next month, but instead will be cancelled for the entire season until October.

As a result, Norse will only have four long-haul routes this summer, including London Gatwick to New York and London Gatwick to Orlando.

A number of other airlines have also made the decision to cancel some flights or increase prices.

For example, earlier this month KLM said it was axing 160 flights across Europe over the next month due to the fuel crisis.

Despite the airline not yet having a shortage of fuel, the cancellations will impact flights travelling to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

Lufthansa also announced that its subsidiary airline CityLine is stopping all operations due to both the Iran War and recent strike action.

The airline would fly to Frankfurt and Munich from the UK.

As for long haul flights, Virgin Atlantic had raised the price of flights.

Those now travelling in economy have to pay an extra £50, those in premium economy have to pay an extra £180 and those in business class will need to pay an additional £360.

In other flight news, a closed UK airport has revealed the latest details about being able to reopen as part of huge £193million project.

Plus, a UK travel company has gone bust with all holidays cancelled – but Brits won’t get any refunds.

‘Unfortunately, it’s very likely that many people’s holidays will be affected, either by flight cancellations or very, very expensive tickets’

The EU has issued a warning that Europe faces a “very serious crisis” as aviation fuel supplies begin to dwindle due to the conflict in Iran, and holidaymakers may need to alter their summer travel plans.

“Unfortunately, it’s very likely that many people’s holidays will be affected, either by flight cancellations or very, very expensive tickets,” Dan Jorgensen, the EU energy commissioner, told Sky News. “Even if we do everything we can do, if the jet fuel is not there, then it’s not there.”

Jorgensen added: “[Currently] it is primarily a crisis of prices and not yet a crisis of supply, but unfortunately we cannot be sure to prevent a crisis of supply, especially on jet fuel in the future, if the crisis continues.”

The International Energy Agency has cautioned that significant supply problems could emerge within the next five to six weeks.

Airlines are already implementing measures to curb demand: the Lufthansa Group, among Europe’s largest airline operators, has confirmed the scrapping of 20,000 flights over the coming months. Meanwhile, other carriers are hiking ticket prices on long-distance routes to offset rising fuel costs.

“If we had peace tomorrow and the Strait of Hormuz opens, I think we will manage without that happening, but I have to say that even in the best-case scenario, the price crisis will still last for quite some time,” Jorgensen warned.

“Gas infrastructure has been ruined to a degree that will take years to rebuild and this means for months and maybe years yet we will see much higher prices than we had before this crisis started.”

The head of Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority told Sky News that people should consider spending their summer holidays in their home countries.

“In the past petrol prices have reached and exceeded more than $100 without any significant side effects on air travel but this time, the psychological effect is having a destructive effect on passengers,” Pierluigi di Palma warned. “It is best to recommend holidays nearby, rediscovering beautiful places in our country. “For those who still want to risk taking a long trip, it’s a good idea to consider special insurance that can provide reassurance regarding a guaranteed refund in the event of a delayed or cancelled flight.”

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The EU has unveiled a raft of measures aimed at curbing the impact of the energy crisis, including proposals to accelerate the rollout of renewable energy sources and incentives for households to install clean energy solutions such as heat pumps and solar panels. The bloc is also pushing member states to slash tax on electricity, in a bid to encourage more motorists to make the switch to electric vehicles.

A group representing British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Loganair, Ryanair, TUI, UPS and Virgin Atlantic has given a stark warning to ministers about holidays this summer. According to ITV News, Airlines UK has told passengers, ‘you can forget your holidays’ according to Good Morning Host Susanna Reid.

The letter, which has gone to ministers and the Civil Aviation Authority, calls on the government and officials to change the rules to bring down passenger duty, allow more night flights, and also to scrap compensation for cancelled or delayed flights.

Presenter Susanna said: “You can forget about your summer holidays. That is the stark warning issued to some air passengers hoping to fly abroad this year. With the war in Iran doubling the price of jet fuel, airlines say they face having to increase fairs or cut flights altogether.”

Co host Ed Balls added: “UK operators are now calling on the government to bring in emergency measures. In a confidential letter seen by ITV News, they’re asking for help to protect fuel supplies, reduce taxes on tickets, and waive strict rules. on compensating passengers.”

ITV said airlines are urging the government to step in to protect business travel, holiday flights and freight operations from the economic fallout of the war in the Middle East. A confidential briefing document submitted to ministers and the aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, seen by ITV News, warns that if the disruption “continues or worsens,” airlines will be forced to cut flights and push up fares.

The document, from Airlines UK, which represents British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Loganair, Ryanair, TUI, UPS and Virgin Atlantic, warns that jet fuel costs have doubled, with fuel accounting for around a third of airline operating costs.

Correspondent Nick Dixon said: “Airlines are now at the stage where they are monitoring their reserves of jet fuel very carefully, very closely. There’s no indication just yet of any immediate cancelled flights or fuel shortages, but the airlines clearly need a backup plan in the longer term. And they are pushing for that. Now, some of the airlines have already taken steps. Lufthansa, the European airline, has cancelled thousands of its short-haul flights in an effort to conserve jet fuel. EasyJet, Virgin Airlines, as well as others, have expressed a lot of concern about the coming weeks.

“Virgin Atlantic has cancelled one of its long-haul routes. EasyJet has said, really, beyond the next few weeks into mid-May, they’re not entirely clear on what they will do for jet. Let’s just take a look at what the airlines are asking from the government in this letter that you mentioned.”

In terms of the changes the airlines want, he said: “So firstly, they want to relieve or reduce air passenger duty to help bring down the cost of travel generally and holidays during this period. Allow for nighttime flights to keep things moving if the schedules are disrupted, and also to scrap compensation for cancelled or delayed flights caused by fuel shortages. All of that, of course, would have a huge impact. on passengers.

“What most passengers want to know is, will my holiday flight be affected? It may well be that if the airlines win concessions from the government, we start to see some tactical flight cancellations of what would otherwise be loss-making departures. Well, the Department for Transport has said that it’s continuing to work with fuel suppliers, with airlines, and international counterparts on our contingency emergency planning to ensure that people keep moving and businesses are supported while the conflict is ongoing. But it’s all quite vague really at the moment and very concerning for passenger passengers who have either spent hundreds if not thousands on flights or are looking to plan uh trips throughout the summer.”

MANY families looking to go on holiday this summer are worried that their plans may be spoiled by the ongoing fuel crisis caused by the war in Iran.

Those concerns were powered by the Head of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol warning that Europe has just six weeks of jet fuel left.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Will my flight be cancelled due to the fuel shortage?

In response to US and Israeli attacks, Iran has closed off the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, a key route for jet fuel out of the Gulf.

This has caused a massive increase in oil prices and resulted in fears of jet fuel shortages.

For example, the price of jet fuel has rapidly surged from £67 ($90) per barrel to a whopping £150 ($200).

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With Birol stating there is enough for just six weeks, airports will possibly be dealing with critical fuel shortages by as early as next month.

That would cause travel chaos for Brits heading abroad during the school May half-term holidays and potentially continue into the summer.

An almost certain consequence will be the effect on journeys to long-haul destinations, as airlines may not have enough fuel for the return journey.

Which airlines have cancelled flights already?

British Airways is amongst the airlines that have begun cancelling flights as they have suspended services to the Middle East.

Journeys to the likes of Dubai and Doha have been put on pause for now and are set to resume in July.

However, the airline has announced it will permanently close its service from London Heathrow to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from April 24, 2026.

Virgin Atlantic announced earlier this month that it has permanently scraped its London flight to Riyadh.

Other airways that have cancelled flights include:

How long will the fuel shortage last?

Sally Gethin, an aviation specialist, spoke on the matter and said the consequences could get severe if the Strait remains closed. 

She told the Daily Mail: “The best case scenario would be fares going up and some routes being cancelled. 

“The worst case scenario is if this carries on for six to eight weeks and the shortages start really biting. This could pose an existential crisis to airlines – even if they slap on fuel surcharges they still won’t recoup the cost.”

“You could be looking at tens of thousands, potentially hundreds of thousands, of flights being cancelled globally.”

How will this affect my upcoming holiday?

Holidays should not be too seriously impacted as our main tour operators and airlines have hedged their fuel essentially meaning they have purchased their fuel far in advance at a fixed rate.

What could happen, however, is if the jet fuel crisis continues into June, tour operators could potentially start to add a surcharge to the price of holidays.

A limited number of flights may be cancelled but airlines and tour operators will attempt to minimise disruptions by focusing on routes where they have multiple daily flights.

Holidays would only be cancelled if the fco advises against travel to the destination.

This is highly unlikely to happen with any Med destination because there are no safety concerns right now in popular holiday resorts.

However if fuel supplies fall into short supply in Europe this could possibly impact flights and therefore your holiday.

Am I entitled to a refund?

If some or all parts of your getaway are cancelled by the provider, your rights to a refund depend entirely on whether you booked your trip as a package holiday (purchasing accommodation and flights, or car hire, together) or individually.

Your money tends to be much better protected with a package getaway and in this circumstance you will be offered either an alternative holiday or a refund.

So, is now a bad time to book?

There are some great deals to be had right now, just approach with caution.

It is vital that you take out travel insurance as if your flight is cancelled you may well have protection against the cost of other elements of your holiday such as accommodation or transfers.

If you’re looking at booking now, Europe is a very safe option.

Although the likes of Turkey and Cyprus in the eastern med have seen bookings drop, there is currently no reason for you not to visit them.

They’re on the safe list and currently have some great deals.

Always book travel insurance the minute you book your holiday and check the policy carefully.

A MAJOR European airline has announced even more strikes this week, set to impact thousands more Brits.

Lufthansa pilots have been on strike since Monday in a dispute over pensions, and now the Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has announced a further two days of strikes.

Pilots began striking on Monday, with hundreds of flights cancelled including many from the UK.

And now the union has announced that pilots will also be carrying out strikes this Thursday and Friday.

Cabin crew will also walk out today and Thursday.

It means that by the end of this week, there will have been six consecutive days of strike action.

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Over 200 flights departing Frankfurt Airport have been cancelled today, including the following flights to the UK:

• 9:50am to Manchester
• 2pm to London Heathrow
• 3:45pm to Glasgow
• 4pm to London Heathrow
• 4:10pm to Edinburgh
• 4:20pm to Newcastle
• 4:45pm to Manchester
• 5pm to Birmingham
• 6pm to London Heathrow
• 9:10pm to Birmingham
• 9:30pm to London Heathrow
• 9:50pm to Edinburgh
• 10pm to Manchester

As for flights with Lufthansa departing from the UK, the following have been cancelled:

• 9:30am from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 9:50am from Glasgow to Frankfurt
• 10:25am from Birmingham to Frankfurt
• 10:35am from Manchester to Munich
• 11:25am from Manchester to Frankfurt
• 12:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
• 1:35pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 3:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 4:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 5:10pm from Edinburgh to Munich
• 5:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 5:30pm from Glasgow to Frankfurt
• 5:40pm from Newcastle to Frankfurt
• 5:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
• 5:50pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 5:55pm from Birmingham to Munich
• 6:15pm from Birmingham to Frankfurt
• 6:20pm from Manchester to Frankfurt
• 7:10pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 7:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 8:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich

With 34 flights – often operating around 150 passengers each – this works out to more than 5,000 passengers to and from the UK affected.

Disruption to flights tomorrow currently remains unclear.

Regarding the further strike action, VC president Andreas Pinheiro said: “The situation remains unchanged; there is absolutely no movement on the employers’ side.

“For us, this is not about political power struggles or egos, but about sustainable solutions.”

In a statement, the airline told passengers earlier this week: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.

“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.

“However, despite these efforts, flight cancellations are unavoidable.

“Travelers who are affected by an irregularity will be informed accordingly, provided their contact details are stored in the booking.

“We ask passengers to check the status of their flight before setting out on their journey.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement.”

The airline has told passengers that if their flight is cancelled, they will be able to rebook once free of charge or their ticket refunded.

Though, all flights to the Middle East have been excluded from the strike action due to the ongoing Iran conflict.

In other flight news, here’s the first look at one airline’s new onboard bunk beds which even economy passengers can book.

Plus, a major UK airline is set to hike flights by up to £360 as they warn jet fuel prices have ‘never been this high’.