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

New measures will be introduced to avoid jet fuel shortages following the crisis in the Middle East. Travelers flying with some airlines may see significant changes to their flight schedules this summer. Supplies have been tight after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route that carries about 41% of Europe’s jet fuel.

Concerns were raised further after analysts at Kpler showed global jet fuel and kerosene shipments fell below 2.3 million tonnes last week – the lowest level on record. As the situation quickly unfolds as summer approaches, airlines are issuing updates to passengers.

The US carrier said it would increase checked baggage fees on domestic and short-haul international flights by around £7.36 for the first and second checked bag, and £110.46 for the third checked bag.

It also reduced some benefits for economy passengers.

It has previously stated that it expects a $400 million (£294 million) increase in first-quarter expenses due to fuel prices.

EasyJet Holidays has told customers they can rest assured their holiday will “go as planned” at no extra cost.

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

EasyJet has previously warned of a larger pre-tax loss of between £540 million and £560 million in the half-year.

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

“We are in close contact with suppliers who continue to ensure uninterrupted supplies and are diversifying exports from other countries globally to support future supplies.”

British Airways has offered a major update to its customers in light of the disruption caused by the conflict that broke out in the Middle East on Saturday.

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

A spokesman said: “We are not seeing disruptions to jet fuel supply, but fuel prices have risen sharply and despite our hedging strategy providing some short-term mitigation, we are not immune from the impact.”

Britain’s largest holiday company has promised that it will not charge extra fees to summer holidaymakers due to rising jet fuel costs.

Chief executive Steve Heapy said: “Holidaymakers should have the right to book their hard-earned holidays in the sun without worrying about facing additional costs, and they can have this full reassurance when booking a flight or holiday with Jet2.

“Customers who book with Jet2 know they are locking in their prices with no additional cost surprises later.”

Lufthansa Group announced on April 21 that it would cancel 20,000 flights over the next six months to save 40,000 metric tons 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 crisis in the travel industry worsens.

It said it was canceling “unprofitable” short-haul flights operated by its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine and reducing the capacity of the entire group this summer by one percent on available seat kilometres.

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

Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has warned that many European airlines could face significant financial difficulties and potential failure if jet fuel prices remain high throughout the summer season.

Despite the volatile market, O’Leary confirmed that Ryanair was “the best insulated, most protected airline in Europe” and said it was determined not to impose price increases or fuel surcharges on its customers.

TUI, Europe’s largest tour operator, has reassured customers booking holidays that the price is fixed “with no fuel surcharges added”.

Neil Swanson, Managing Director of TUI UK and Ireland, said: “We understand that customers want both confidence and clarity when booking holidays.

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

Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive has warned that the aviation industry “cannot afford” jet fuel costs at current levels as rising fuel prices are pushing some airline tickets 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 jet fuel supplies.

The airline has added a fuel surcharge to fares but will still struggle to return to profitability this year, CEO Corneel ‌Koster told the Financial Times.