Airlines have been forced to cancel flights during the May half-term as soaring jet fuel prices, driven by the Middle East conflict and Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, trigger a worldwide shortage. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 13,000 flights have been cancelled globally from May schedules, with 1,468 flights axed from the UK's biggest airports.
London Heathrow has seen 846 flights cancelled, affecting 151,198 seats, while Birmingham has reduced its schedule by 200 flights and 21,880 seats. Glasgow has cancelled 86 flights and Manchester 60, impacting 410 routes across major UK airports.
Lufthansa has axed 20,000 short-haul flights between May and October, conserving approximately 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel. Turkish Airlines has cancelled over 3,000 flights, with some routes suspended until March next year. Air Canada has suspended routes including Guadalajara-Montréal and Fort McMurray-Vancouver, citing doubled jet fuel prices.
Other airlines affected include Air China, Air Transat (cutting 6% of its schedule), Delta (suspending routes from New York and Detroit), KLM (cancelling flights to Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam until 28 June), and Norwegian (axing its London route). The crisis is expected to continue into summer, with further cancellations possible.
