International Air Transport Association

The low-cost airline is cancelling flights in May and June due to soaring aviation fuel prices linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East

An airline that operates routes to and from the UK is axing flights in May and June because of surging fuel costs. Transavia, the budget airline owned by the Air France-KLM group, is scrapping scheduled services for May and June to cut expenses as aviation fuel prices soar due to the Middle East conflict.

The Air France-KLM group’s low-cost arm will change its timetable for May and June to streamline costs amid rocketing fuel prices linked to the Middle East war, a spokesperson confirmed to AFP. The airline operates from London Stansted to Rotterdam several times a week, and is used by tourists who fly to Schiphol airport in the Netherlands before going on to other European destinations with Transavia.

“Due to the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East and its impact on aviation fuel prices, Transavia France is adapting its flight schedule and is forced to cancel several flights scheduled for May and June 2026,” the carrier, which runs medium-distance routes, stated.

The cancellations represent “less than 2% of the flight schedule for the May-June period,” a spokesperson informed AFP. Transavia said “customers affected by a cancellation are notified individually by SMS and email.” Details of which routes are affected have not been disclosed so far.

They can then “benefit, according to their choice, from a free rescheduling, a voucher, or a full refund of their ticket.” Additionally, “for the majority of cancelled flights, a rescheduling solution within 24 hours is offered,” the airline states.

Europe normally gets half of its fuel from Gulf nations. However, since the start of the war between the United States and Iran in late February, the Strait of Hormuz has been shut down by Tehran.

In Brussels, European Commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned that the EU was “approaching very rapidly” a potential supply crisis, raising concerns about a summer characterised by “higher airfares and cancellations.” Airlines including Transavia have already begun raising ticket prices, with increases averaging approximately 10 euros per return journey, according to the carrier’s spokesperson speaking to AFP.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones warned on Sunday that the ongoing conflict is likely to push up costs for energy, food and flight tickets in the coming months, with potential disruptions to energy supplies affecting production rather than causing empty supermarket shelves.

“You’re going to see prices go up a bit as a consequence of what Donald Trump has done in the Middle East,” he told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme. “That’s probably going to come online not just in the next few weeks, but the next few months. There’s going to be a long tail from this.”

When pressed on how long elevated prices could last, he indicated it would be roughly eight months after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened and tensions in the region begin to ease. “I think our best guess is eight-plus months from the point of resolution that you’ll see economic impacts coming through the system,” the minister said.

Last week, German airline Lufthansa said it would cut 20,000 European short-haul flights over the summer. It blamed the price of jet fuel.

An industry expert told travel journalist Simon Calder on his podcast last week that he expected more flights to be cut by airlines. Ted Wake, managing director of Kirker Holidays, said: “I think Lufthansa has got a very comprehensive schedule. Twenty thousand flights isn’t a drop in the ocean but it’s a relatively small number if you look at the overall picture.

“I think other airlines within the UK market will be doing something similar.”

Ryanair is calling on passengers to act

Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled, with the budget carrier continuing its campaign to “keep EU skies open”.

Ryanair has set up a a petition, aimed at the European Commission, to reduce the impact of French Air Traffic Control (ATC) strikes on EU flights. The campaign has now garnered support from more than two million people, with thousands of flights scrapped – and more disrupted – in 2025 alone. In October of last year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said: “It is inexcusable that Europe’s worst performing ATCs in France, Spain, Germany and the UK continue to inflict avoidable delays and cancellations on millions of EU citizens every month.

“Despite warnings, Europe’s ATC performance is not improving, as national providers fail to properly staff and manage their operations. EU ATC needs reform and its passengers who are paying the price.

“ATC delays have already disrupted 33m citizens so far this year, with France, Spain, Germany and the UK consistently failing to staff and manage their services properly.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported last month that Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) delays in Europe have “grown sharply” in recent years, with this “far outpacing traffic growth”. ATFM delays, it said, “have cost airlines and passengers an estimated EUR 17.5 billion since 2015 (in 2025 prices), of which over 70% is linked to capacity shortages and staffing issues”.

The Council of the European Union said last year that “the air traffic control system is increasingly struggling to manage this growing demand”, noting that while “close coordination has been underway for many months between the European Commission and EUROCONTROL as well as ongoing planning between the EUROCONTROL Network Manager, airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and the military … resolving the issue also requires political will at the national level as each country is responsible for providing adequate air traffic services and making the necessary investments to support these services.”