UK flight cancellations have surged dramatically in May, according to new data, as airlines grapple with soaring jet fuel prices and concerns over potential shortages. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that 296 departures from UK airports had been axed as of Tuesday, representing 0.75% of all scheduled flights. This marks a significant increase from just 120 cancellations six days earlier.
Summer Schedule Reductions
While the figures for the peak summer months show week-on-week schedule reductions remain relatively limited, there has been a noticeable uptick in cancellations. Outbound flights for June are 48 fewer than a week ago, after 0.2% of services were cancelled. July's week-on-week reduction stands at 31, while August has seen a mere four fewer flights.
Airlines Avoid Compensation
Airlines are able to avoid compensation liability by cancelling flights with at least two weeks' notice. This allows them to delay decisions on summer schedules and bypass payouts to passengers. The sharp rise in cancellations comes as jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the start of the Middle East conflict, with Iran maintaining control over tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting several carriers to adjust their schedules.
In Europe, Lufthansa’s airline group announced in April it would cancel 20,000 flights over the following six months to save fuel. KLM and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have also been affected by the fuel price surge.
IAG Warns of Profit Hit
Last week, British Airways’ parent company IAG warned that its profits will be impacted as it expects to spend approximately 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.
Earlier this month, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander reassured the public that summer holiday plans will not face major disruption due to shortages. She revealed that more fuel has been imported from America, and UK refineries have increased their production. The Government has also introduced a temporary rule change allowing airlines to group passengers from different flights together onto fewer planes to save fuel.
