EasyJet has moved to reassure passengers that its summer flight schedule will not be affected by jet fuel shortages, despite wider industry concerns. The airline's chief executive, Kenton Jarvis, said the carrier is 'not seeing any disruption to fuel supply' and urged customers to 'book with confidence'.
The reassurance comes amid a global spike in jet fuel prices triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war, which previously handled 20% of the world's oil supply. While some European airlines have cut schedules, EasyJet said it has 'normal supply visibility' for the next four weeks and intends to operate its full summer schedule.
Jarvis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that fuel suppliers have diversified, with increased production in Norway, West Africa and the Americas, and refining capacity for jet fuel has grown outside the Gulf region. He added that EasyJet will not impose fuel surcharges on booked flights.
The airline's new hub at Newcastle Airport is expected to see increased passenger numbers, with new routes to Fuerteventura, Krakow and Reykjavik announced in April. However, EasyJet reported that summer bookings are down two percentage points year-on-year, with 58% of seats sold for the six months to end of September, attributing this to consumer uncertainty over the Middle East conflict.
Jarvis noted a trend towards shorter booking windows, with strong late demand in April and May, and expects this to continue through the summer. The announcement follows similar assurances from Jet2, which also ruled out surcharges on booked flights or holidays.
