Airlines are cancelling flights and introducing surcharges as the jet fuel crisis deepens, driven by the ongoing war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, which has been effectively blocked since February, handles around 20% of the world's oil supply, pushing fuel costs to unsustainable levels.
New figures from aviation analytics firm Cirium show that 296 departures from UK airports were cancelled for May as of Tuesday, representing 0.75% of the total – up from 120 cancellations just six days earlier. Airlines are avoiding compensation liability by cancelling flights with at least two weeks' notice, allowing them to delay summer decisions and bypass payouts.
Ascend Airways, which operated from London Gatwick and Stansted, has ceased operations and will hand over its UK Air Operator's Certificate, citing rising jet fuel costs from the Iran war. Spirit Airlines collapsed on May 2 after failing to secure a bailout, stranding thousands of US passengers. Lufthansa has shut its subsidiary CityLine and cut 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule, blaming 'significantly increased kerosene prices'.
British Airways' parent IAG warned it expects to spend €2bn (£1.72bn) more on fuel this year. Aegean Airlines will raise ticket prices by 7-8% for new bookings, though existing passengers are unaffected. Aer Lingus has dropped over 500 flights, claiming mandatory maintenance, while also making price adjustments: £44 more per round trip on long-haul and £9 on short and medium-haul.
