Passengers should expect an increase in flight cancellations due to rising fuel prices amid the war in Iran.
This is reported by the news agency Bloomberg.
According to data from the analytics company Cirium Ltd., global airline capacity will decrease by approximately 3% in May instead of the expected growth of 4-6% in 2026, reports "Deutsche Welle."
Major Airlines Warn of Flight Cancellations Due to Fuel Shortages
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) states that aviation fuel supplies in Europe will last for about six weeks. The jet fuel shortage is caused by the war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has cut off supplies of Iranian oil.
To save fuel, major airlines are resorting to reducing their schedules. For instance, the Dutch airline KLM announced the cancellation of 80 round trips from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in May. This places it alongside American United Airlines and German Lufthansa, which have also reduced routes for profitability reasons, Bloomberg points out.
"Immediate Action Required"
The Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL) has called for "immediate action, preferably coordinated at the EU level." According to its assessment, the jet fuel shortage will "initially" lead to a temporary suspension of less busy short routes and an accelerated retirement of older, fuel-inefficient aircraft. Limiting air traffic will cause "significant damage" to the German and European economies, BDL emphasized.
Even if the war in Iran ends soon, it will likely take months or years to restore the damaged infrastructure, Bloomberg writes.
As we have already reported, the Latvian airline airBaltic will suspend flights that started in late March between Kaunas and Riga in May. Due to rising costs, this route has become economically unfeasible and will be canceled starting May 7, the company announced.
