13,000 flights canceled in just one month: Airlines scrap May schedules over fears jet fuel could reach ‘critically low levels’

Airlines have cut two million seats from May’s flight schedules in the past two weeks as concerns grew that the war in Iran could reduce jet fuel supplies to “critically low levels.”

According to analytics firm Cirium, the total number of available seats across all airlines this month fell from 132,619,704 in mid-April to 130,674,864 at the end of April.

The number of flights fell by more than 13,000 in the same period – from 859,167 to 846,162.

Gulf airlines such as Qatar, Etihad and Emirates have been hardest hit by the closure of Middle Eastern airspace and disruption of airports since the conflict began on February 28, as well as rising fuel costs.

German airline Lufthansa had the most seat cancellations after canceling 20,000 flights between May and October, while Air China canceled almost 500,000 flights, including internal services, the Financial Times reported.

European airlines Air France-KLM and SAS have also cut their schedules in recent weeks, while US airline Spirit has declared bankruptcy, blamed on rising oil prices.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned rivals that Europe’s biggest airlines are now ‘desperately’ looking to cancel flights and are expected to do so within weeks.

It comes as a fragile truce in the Middle East remains under strain after the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Gulf in the battle for the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s crude oil supply passes.

Passengers for international flights at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand on Monday

Planes grounded at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal Five on Sunday

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How European airlines are responding to the jet fuel crisis

AEGEAN AIRLINES: The Greek airline expects suspended flights from the Middle East and a spike in fuel prices to have a “significant impact” on its first-quarter results.

AIR FRANCE-KLMThe aviation group said it expected a $2.4 billion (£1.8 billion) increase in fuel bills this year and cut its capacity outlook to a 2 percent to 4 percent increase from 2025. It previously expected an increase of 3 percent to 5 percent. The group previously announced plans to increase long-haul ticket prices to tackle rising fuel costs, with cabin fares expected to rise by €50 (£43) per return. The group’s Dutch arm, KLM, said on April 16 it would cancel 160 flights in Europe in the coming month due to rising fuel costs.

EASYJET: EasyJet warned of a wider half-year pre-tax loss of between £540m and £560m, including £25m in extra fuel costs in March.

IAG: British Airways owner IAG said it would increase ticket prices to reflect higher jet fuel costs as, despite its fuel hedges, it was ‘not immune’ to the wider impact of fuel cost volatility.

LUFTHANSA: The German airline group has unveiled a new cheap fare option ‘Economy Basic’ for short- and medium-haul flights, limiting free carry-on luggage to just a ‘laptop bag or small backpack’. The group previously said 20,000 short-haul flights would be removed from the schedule through October, equivalent to about 40,000 tons of aviation fuel.

SAS: The Scandinavian airline said it would cancel 1,000 flights in April due to high oil and jet fuel prices, after canceling a “few hundred” flights in March.

CRANE: The Portuguese airline said its price increases would partially soften the impact of changes in fuel prices on its revenues.

TUIThe European airline and tour operator cut its underlying full-year profit outlook and suspended revenue expectations as it said it had incurred around 40 million euros in additional costs as a result of the war in March, including repatriation efforts and operational disruptions.

TURKISH AIRLINES, LUFTHANSA: SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, said it would impose a temporary fuel surcharge of €10 (£9) per passenger on routes between Turkey and mainland Europe. The surcharge will apply to bookings made on or after April 1 for departure on or after May 1. Turkish Airlines said on April 10 that it had decided not to pay a dividend on 2025 net profit and had opted to retain earnings to preserve cash.

VIRGIN ATLANTICThe airline is adding fuel surcharges to fares but will still struggle to return to profitability this year, CEO Corneel Koster said.

VOLOTEA: The Spanish budget airline introduced a new pricing policy linking ticket prices to fuel costs, which could potentially result in a post-purchase surcharge of up to €14 (£12) per passenger, per flight.

The US military claimed it had destroyed six Iranian small boats on Monday, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump sent the US Navy to escort stranded tankers through the strait in a campaign dubbed ‘Project Freedom’.

The average global jet fuel price rose last week for the first time in a month to $181 (£134) per barrel, according to data from the International Air Transport Association.

This 1 per cent week-on-week increase followed three consecutive weeks of decline after a peak of $209 (£155) in early April – up from $99 (£73) at the end of February.

Meanwhile, investment bank Goldman Sachs warned that Britain is particularly vulnerable to jet fuel shortages amid a risk of rationing as supplies could fall to “critically low levels”.

A note from The Times claimed that Europe’s aviation fuel supply was facing ‘extreme tightness’ due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – with Britain ‘most exposed’ to the crisis due to its high dependence on imports, poor refining capacity and low inventories.

Goldman Sachs said: ‘The UK is the largest net importer of jet fuel in Europe and has no strategic reserves, leaving commercial supplies as the primary buffer.

‘As a result, supplies in some countries, especially Britain, could fall to critically low levels, increasing the likelihood of rationing measures.’

Meanwhile, Britain now has just four operating oil refineries – Fawley in Hampshire, Stanlow in Cheshire, Humber in Lincolnshire and Pembroke in Wales – following the closure of Grangemouth in Scotland in April 2025 and Lindsey in Lincolnshire last August.

Several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires and an oil port in the UAE, home to a major US military base, was set on fire by Iranian missiles.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively closed the strait with threats of mines, drones, missiles and fast attack craft, while the US has responded by blockading Iranian ports.

The UK government has now introduced a temporary rule change allowing airlines to group passengers from different flights onto fewer planes as part of plans to save fuel.

This would allow passengers to switch from the service they originally booked to a similar service, in an effort to reduce the amount of fuel wasted by flying planes that are not sold out and might otherwise have been canceled.

When asked about the two million flights being canceled in May, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson referred to Transport Minister Heidi Alexander’s announcement earlier this week.

He added that she had taken action to allow airlines to consolidate routes from Britain to “ensure fewer surprises for people planning their holidays.”

‘She also talked about contingency planning. As you would expect, the work continues… we are very clear that the impact of the conflict in Iran is having a direct impact on the economic situation in Britain and that is why we continue to push for lasting peace in the region,” he said.

It comes after the European Commission warned that airlines and member states must prepare for all scenarios as supply uncertainty continues.

Spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said at a briefing in Brussels: “I don’t think anyone knows how long this situation will last, so the best thing we can do and the most effective thing we can do – and what we are doing – is to prepare for all eventualities.”

Question and answer

What are my rights if my holiday flight is cancelled?

You are entitled to an alternative flight at the earliest opportunity, or at a later date – or to cancel it entirely.

If your airline cannot route you through a suitable alternative, you can ask to book a flight with a competitor.

My flight has been combined, can I claim compensation?

The government has given airlines the power to combine flights without penalty, as they would do in normal times. Typically, passengers are due compensation if the airline cancels or significantly reschedules a flight that is less than 14 days away.

But it’s not clear whether this applies if your flight is canceled or rescheduled due to fuel shortages.

Airlines generally do not have to pay out if the delay or cancellation is due to ‘extraordinary circumstances’, such as political or civil unrest.

Although flight changes are not directly due to the unrest, it has led to the shortages.

Airlines have petitioned to declare the fuel shortage an “extraordinary circumstance.” This request was not granted in Great Britain.

However, the European Commission has suggested that airlines may be able to avoid compensation if they can prove that the disruption was directly caused by the fuel shortages.

Can I claim under my travel insurance?

Travel insurance is the safety net you can rely on if you can’t get help from an airline.

If the reason for the cancellation is beyond the airline’s control, your travel insurer can normally reimburse you for the flight, holiday accommodation and rental car costs.

Standard travel insurance policies usually exclude war. It is unclear whether this will cover fuel shortages. Check the fine print of your policy.

What should I do if I don’t get what I’m entitled to?

If your airline denies your claim, you can try using alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to resolve the issue. For more information, visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s website caa.co.uk.

13,000 flights canceled in just one month: Airlines scrap May schedules over fears jet fuel could reach ‘critically low levels’

How European airlines are responding to the jet fuel crisis

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