Airlines Cutting Summer Flights

Airlines are trimming summer schedules as fuel costs jump and conflict-driven disruptions make some flights too expensive to keep. (politico.eu) KLM said it will cancel 80 return flights at Amsterdam Schiphol in May, mainly on routes with several flights a day. Lufthansa said it is retiring 27 aircraft from its operating fleet, including four older Airbus A340-600 long-haul jets at the end of the summer schedule. (politico.eu) (cnbc.com) Air Canada said on April 17 that jet fuel prices had doubled since the start of the Iran conflict and that it was cutting about 1 percent of planned annual capacity. The airline listed suspensions including Fort McMurray-Vancouver from May 28, Toronto-Salt Lake City from June 30, and Toronto-John F. Kennedy and Montreal-John F. Kennedy from June 1, with some routes scheduled to return later in 2026 or 2027. (aircanada.com) Singapore Airlines has not announced a broad summer pullback in the materials it has published publicly, but its most recent financial update showed fuel remained one of its largest costs, at S$1.36 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025. For the Northern Summer 2026 season, the carrier had previously planned to add frequencies on several routes, underscoring how quickly the fuel shock is changing airline economics. (singaporeair.com) Jet fuel is the refined kerosene that powers commercial aircraft, and it is usually airlines’ biggest single expense. The International Air Transport Association says fuel accounts for about 30 percent of airline operating costs, while its latest weekly monitor put the global average jet fuel price at $184.63 a barrel. (iata.org 1) (iata.org 2) The current shock is tied to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the war in the Middle East began on Feb. 28, 2026. Politico reported that jet fuel prices in Europe had more than doubled since the war began, and Euronews cited International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol saying Europe had “maybe six weeks or so” of jet fuel left. (politico.eu) (euronews.com) That squeeze lands on an industry that was already operating on thin margins. IATA said in December that airlines worldwide were expected to earn a 3.9 percent net margin in 2026, or about $7.90 per passenger, leaving little room to absorb a sudden doubling in fuel prices on weaker routes. (iata.org) For travelers, the first effect is usually fewer choices before it is outright cancellations. KLM said its cuts would hit routes with multiple daily flights, and Air Canada said affected customers would be contacted with alternate options, a sign that airlines are thinning frequencies before abandoning core markets. (politico.eu) (aircanada.com) Fares do not move in lockstep with oil, but fewer seats in July and August usually mean less flexibility and higher prices on the busiest days. If fuel markets stabilize and supply routes reopen, airlines can add flights back; if not, summer timetables are likely to keep shrinking route by route. (euronews.com) (aircanada.com)