New figures reveal that airlines have dramatically ramped up flight cancellations for May, as jet fuel costs soar and supply concerns mount amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Sharp Rise in Cancellations
Aviation analytics company Cirium recorded 296 departures from UK airports scrapped this month as of Tuesday, representing 0.75 per cent of the total. This marks a sharp rise from 120 cancellations just six days earlier. Data for the busy summer period indicates week-on-week timetable cuts remain modest, with outbound services for June down by 48 compared with a week ago, following the axing of 0.2 per cent of flights. July’s week-on-week decrease sits at 31, while August has seen just four fewer departures.
Compensation and Fuel Costs
Carriers can now sidestep compensation obligations by scrapping flights with a minimum of two weeks’ advance warning, allowing them to postpone summer decisions while avoiding financial penalties. This development follows jet fuel costs more than doubling since the Middle East conflict began, with Iran continuing to control tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing multiple carriers to revise their schedules. Across Europe, Lufthansa’s airline group revealed in April it would axe 20,000 flights over the subsequent six months to conserve fuel.
Impact on Major Airlines
Last week, British Airways’ parent firm IAG cautioned its profits would take a hit as it anticipates spending approximately €2bn (£1.72bn) beyond budget on fuel this year. Chief executive Luis Gallego said 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 indicated summer holiday arrangements would not face significant disruption because of shortages. She disclosed that additional fuel has been brought in from the United States, while UK refineries have ramped up their output. The government has also implemented a short-term regulatory adjustment permitting airlines to consolidate passengers from various flights onto a reduced number of aircraft in order to conserve fuel.
EU Border System Chaos
TV holiday expert Simon Calder has said that it’s possible travellers could see major changes this summer, as the potential for key countries loved by UK holidaymakers to ‘switch off’ a controversial new border system which has caused chaos. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system that was implemented on April 10, 2026. It replaces manual passport stamping for non-EU nationals, including UK citizens, entering the Schengen Area for short stays. It records biometric data - fingerprints and photo - at border checkpoints, applying to 90-day, visa-free, or short-stay visa travel. Reports have shown that it’s caused chaos, with three and four-hour queues and in some cases people have missed flights due to delays.
Mr Calder, who appears on BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain, explained that a recent decision by Greece to suspend the system - without any repercussions from EU authorities - could have a big impact on other hotspots popular with UK travellers, like Spain, Portugal and Italy. He said in a blog: “It’s over two weeks since the Greek government said, ‘Ah, we’re not going to bother with all those biometric things for the British holiday makers who are coming over. There’s loads of them. We’d rather they had a nice easy time at the airport and got to the beach.’ I thought, ‘Well, they’ll never get away with that. There’s nothing in the rules for the EU entry exit system that allows them to do it.’ But it seems they have, and I think that will encourage other governments, perhaps Portugal, Italy, Spain to say, ‘We’re not going to bother either. Let’s stagger through to the end of summer and perhaps take another look at the digital border scheme in the autumn.’”
Martin Lewis Warning on Holiday Bookings
Martin Lewis recently delivered a stark warning to anyone who has already booked a holiday for this summer, explaining why people could be making a big mistake getting flights and hotels separately. In a recent update, the money-saving guru has urged those who have paid for trips with major holiday firms and airlines, including TUI, Jet2, Ryanair, Wizz, easyJet and British Airways, to pay close attention. It was suggested this week that the UK could be worst hit by jet fuel shortages because it has ‘critically low levels’ of supplies and poor refining tools, by Goldman Sachs. The giant investment bank Goldman Sachs said in a research note to clients: “The UK is the largest net importer of jet fuel in Europe, and it holds no strategic reserves, leaving commercial inventories as the primary buffer.”
During his Money Show Live on ITV, the financial expert responded to an audience member who asked: ‘If my flight’s cancelled due to no jet fuel will you definitely receive at the moment package holidays give you a certain as well.’ Mr Lewis explained that holidaymakers would lose their hotel booking costs if they had arranged accommodation independently from flights reserved with airlines such as Jet2, TUI, Wizz, Ryanair or easyJet - as they would not be protected under consumer regulations. He said: “No. And I think this is what people need to be very aware of. If you booked a package holiday where you booked everything in one, then under the package holiday regulations and rules and protections generally if your flight went you would get everything back.”
He added: “And so actually at the moment package holidays give you a certain level of extra security that you wouldn’t get if you did a DIY booking where you bought your hotel and flight separately.” The reason for this, he explained, stems from the fact that the hotel reservation itself remains entirely valid: “Because the point is if you lose your flight and you’ve DIY booked, there’s nothing wrong with your hotel. The issue is you can’t get there. Your hotel is still there. It’s not faulty. It’s not cancelling. So, you don’t have those consumer rights.” If the accommodation provider hasn’t violated any terms, then guests might examine how they’ve paid for their booking - but that route offers no solution either. He said: “So, you would then say, ‘What about using a credit card or debit card protection?’ It won’t work because there’s nothing faulty. And that’s just giving you the same replica rights that you would have with the retailer.”
