Airlines Cut 13,000 Flights in May as Jet Fuel Crisis Deepens
BBC Business reported Wednesday that airlines worldwide have axed 13,000 flights throughout May, stripping close to two million seats from schedules as jet fuel prices surge on the back of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Summer Holidays Under Pressure
The cuts raise fresh concerns for travellers heading away during the UK half-term break, which falls at the end of May. Aviation analytics firm Cirium identified Istanbul and Munich as the cities facing the steepest reductions in departures. Several major carriers including Air France, KLM, Air Canada, Delta, and SAS have already trimmed their summer timetables.
The scale of disruption is widening. German aviation group Lufthansa announced it would remove 20,000 flights from its network through the end of October. Airlines are typically reluctant to cancel services because doing so can cost them valuable airport slots. A new UK contingency framework would shield carriers from that penalty if cancellations are made well in advance at congested hubs like Heathrow.
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How Fuel Costs Got Here
Jet fuel prices have rocketed since the Middle East conflict escalated. A single tonne traded near $831 in late February. By early April that figure had more than doubled to around $1,838 per tonne. The sharp rise has already fed through into ticket prices across the industry.
In mid-April, the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe faced a potential window of only around six weeks of jet fuel supply remaining. The IEA advises 32 member governments on energy security, giving the comment considerable weight among policymakers.
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Government Moves to Limit the Damage
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander sought to reassure the public over the weekend, stating she was confident most summer travellers would experience conditions broadly similar to last year. The government is finalising a package of measures designed to give airlines more scheduling flexibility without triggering slot forfeiture rules at busy airports.
Whether those assurances hold depends heavily on how quickly the fuel supply picture stabilises. With Lufthansa alone cutting tens of thousands of flights and smaller carriers following suit, the coming weeks will test whether policy concessions can keep summer travel meaningfully intact.
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