Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded at major UK airports after several flights were cancelled on Friday, May 15. British Airways was among the airlines that cancelled flights, leaving travellers stuck at airports across the nation.
Widespread Disruption
The significant wave of disruption saw a total of 465 flight delays and 25 cancellations on a single day. London Heathrow was the most severely impacted, with 233 flights delayed and 22 cancellations, 17 of which were British Airways flights. At Gatwick, cancellations were minimal, with only one British Airways journey called off, though 142 flights departed later than scheduled.
Impact Across the UK
In Scotland, another British Airways flight was cancelled, and Edinburgh airport recorded 58 delays. Glasgow also saw a cancellation from the airline. The disruption comes as the travel industry grapples with rising fuel costs due to the ongoing Middle East conflict and the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Fuel Costs and Cancellations
Data shows airlines have dramatically increased flight cancellations for May as jet fuel costs continue to soar. Cirium recorded 296 departures from UK airports scrapped this month as of Tuesday, a sharp rise from 120 cancellations just six days earlier. Last week, British Airways' parent company IAG warned that profits would be hit, expecting to spend about two billion euros (£1.72 billion) more than planned on fuel this year.
Chief executive Luis Gallego stated that IAG does not believe there will be 'any interruption for the summer' in terms of jet fuel supplies, though the current situation remains challenging for travellers and airlines alike.
