A360
Key Takeaways✦ Atlas AI
01
13,000 global flights canceled for May.
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Jet fuel prices doubled since February.
03
UK flights largely unaffected by cuts.
Atlas AI
Airlines have cancelled about 13,000 flights scheduled for May, removing nearly two million seats from global networks, as jet fuel prices have risen sharply amid the conflict in the Middle East, according to aviation analysts Cirium.
The cuts represent around 1% of global flights. Cirium data shows destinations including Munich and Istanbul among the most affected.
UK impact limited ahead of half-term
The changes come ahead of the UK’s half-term holidays at the end of the month. Industry groups said UK flights to key summer destinations are largely unaffected. Cirium said 120 scheduled flights departing the UK have been cancelled for May, or 0.53%.
Consumer group Which? says airlines cancel around 2% of flights the day before departure under normal circumstances.
Prices up; supply concerns being monitored
Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since late February, rising from $831 per tonne to a high of $1,838 per tonne by early April.
Airlines have said they are not currently facing fuel supply problems. However, experts have warned that disruption to deliveries from the Middle East could lead to shortages within weeks. The UK imports about 65% of the jet fuel it uses.
Airlines and governments adjust schedules and rules
A number of airlines, including Air France, KLM, Air Canada, Delta and SAS, have already trimmed summer schedules. Lusourceshansa has said it plans to remove 20,000 flights between now and the end of October.
Governments are also preparing contingency measures. In the UK, these include allowing airlines to cancel flights at busy airports without losing take-off and landing slots, as the situation evolves.
