Full list of 8 airline updates as chaos jet fuel shortage continues | World | News

New measures will be brought in to avoid a shortage of jet fuel, following the crisis in the Middle East. Passengers flying with some airlines could see significant changes to flight schedules this summer. Supplies have been squeezed following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route that handles around 41% of Europe’s jet fuel.

Concerns have been heightened after data from analysts at Kpler showed global shipments of jet fuel and kerosene dropped below 2.3 million tonnes last week — the lowest level on record. Airlines are issuing updates to travellers, with the situation quickly unfolding as summer draws closer.

The U.S. carrier said it would hike checked baggage fees by around £7.36 each for the first and second checked bags and by £110.46 for the third checked bag on domestic and short-haul international flights.

It also trimmed certain ⁠benefits for economy passengers.

It had earlier said it expected a $400million (£294million) increase in first-quarter expenses due to fuel prices.

EasyJet Holidays told customers they can be confident their holidays will “go ahead as planned” without extra surcharges.

CEO Garry Wilson said on Saturday, 25 April: “We know that holidaymakers may have questions about what recent global events might mean for their travel plans this summer, so we are giving our customers absolute peace of mind that no surcharges will be added to their flights or package holidays.”

EasyJet had previously warned of a bigger half-year pre-tax loss of between £540m and £560m.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “easyJet is not seeing any disruption to fuel supply. We continue to operate our flights and package holidays as normal, are not making changes and intend to operate our full summer schedule.

“We remain in close contact with suppliers who continue to provide uninterrupted supply and are diversifying exporting from additional countries globally to bolster supplies going forward.”

British Airways has provided its custimers with a major update in light of disruptions caused by the conflict that erupted in the Middle East on Saturday.

IAG – which owns British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia of Spain – is talking of “pricing adjustments to reflect these higher fuel costs.”

A spokesperson said: “We are not seeing jet fuel supply interruptions, but fuel prices have risen sharply and, despite our hedging strategy, which gives some shorter-term mitigation, we are not immune to the impact.”

Britain’s biggest holiday company has vowed not to surcharge summer holidaymakers due to rising jet fuel costs.

Chief executive Steve Heapy said: “Holidaymakers should have every right to book their hard-earned break in the sun, without worrying about being hit with additional costs, and they can have that complete assurance when they book a flight or holiday with Jet2.

“Customers booking with Jet2 know that they are locking in their price without additional cost surprises later.”

Lufthansa Group announced on April 21 that it will cancel 20,000 flights over the next six months to save 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel, which it said had doubled in price.

The move looks set to be one of the most significant cancellations of scheduled flights by a global airline, as the travel industry crisis worsens.

It said it has axed “unprofitable” short-haul flights operated by its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine, reducing the entire group’s capacity by one per cent in available seat kilometres this summer.

Lufthansa CityLine has hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. The first 120 daily flight cancellations took effect on Monday and will continue through the end of May. The airline said affected passengers have been notified.

Chief executive at Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, has warned that several European airlines could face significant financial difficulties and potential failures if jet fuel prices remain high throughout the summer season.

Despite the volatile market, O’Leary affirmed that Ryanair is “the best insulated, most hedged airline in Europe” and committed to not imposing price increases or fuel surcharges on its customers.

Europe’s largest tour operator TUI has reassured customers who have already booked their holidays that the price is fixed “with no fuel surcharges added.”

Neil Swanson, managing director of TUI UK & Ireland, said: “We understand that customers want both confidence and clarity when booking a holiday.

“Our teams are here to support people who are thinking about booking, and those who have already booked with Tui can be reassured that their holiday price is fixed, with no fuel surcharges added.”

Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive has warned that the aviation sector “cannot absorb” jetfuel costs at their current levels, as rising fuel prices have pushed some airfares up by as much as £360.

The warning follows the airline‘s decision to increase fares as the conflict in Iran continues to threaten global jetfuel supplies.

The airline is adding fuel surcharges to fares but will still struggle to return to profitability this year, its CEO Corneel ‌Koster told the Financial Times.