Summer holidays are under threat as over 13,000 flights have been canceled worldwide amid the escalating Middle East conflict. Heathrow Airport has removed 111 flights from its May schedule, with airlines globally slashing two million seats from their timetables due to soaring jet-fuel prices driven by the US-Iran conflict.
Heathrow Cuts Services
Britain's busiest airport has cut 111 services amid mounting concern that prolonged pressure on global fuel supplies could trigger wider disruption as the summer season approaches. Ministers have told UK carriers they may be granted more freedom to merge services on high-frequency routes should the situation worsen.
Global Impact
Airlines worldwide have already reduced two million seats from their May timetables as operators redraw schedules in response to the surge in fuel costs linked to the turmoil in the Middle East, reports the Mirror. Approximately 13,000 fewer services will run globally in May following recent cancellations, based on figures from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Crude oil costs have rocketed since the US-Iran conflict began over two months ago, when America and Israel conducted coordinated attacks on multiple strategic Iranian locations. Tehran responded by launching strikes throughout the Middle East and blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping channel, which handles 20% of worldwide oil trade.
Airline Responses
The most significant reductions in flight numbers have occurred at Istanbul and Munich airports. Turkish Airlines and Germany's Lufthansa have implemented substantial cutbacks. Lufthansa has axed 20,000 short-distance flights run by its CityLine division. Most short-haul airlines flying from the UK have strong fuel hedging arrangements in place, meaning they are not anticipating immediate cost pressures.
Low-cost operators EasyJet and Wizz Air have pledged to run their complete summer timetables, despite mounting costs on the unhedged element of their fuel expenses. Aviation bosses say there are currently no supply problems, given the typical six-week forward visibility, though international bodies have warned that Europe could face jet fuel shortages should the Middle East conflict continue disrupting supplies.
Government Measures
Westminster has indicated that extraordinary measures might be implemented proactively to prevent last-minute chaos for summer holidaymakers. This could involve merging timetables on routes where several carriers fly to identical destinations on the same day. Government sources suggested that where airlines have not shifted a substantial number of seats, services could be axed to avoid squandering fuel on largely empty aircraft.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has stated there were no immediate supply issues, but the Government was preparing now to give families long-term certainty and avoid unnecessary disruption at the departure gate this summer.
