Cathay cuts flights May–June

Cathay Pacific is cutting flights from mid-May through June after a spike in jet-fuel costs tied to the Middle East conflict hit its operating budget. (cnbc.com) The Hong Kong carrier said it will cancel about 2 percent of scheduled passenger flights from May 16 to June 30, 2026. Its low-cost unit, HK Express, will cut about 6 percent of flights starting May 11. (cnbc.com) Cathay also said passenger service to Dubai and Riyadh will remain suspended until June 30. Local reporting said the reductions will hit mainly regional routes, plus some flights to and from Australia, South Asia and South Africa. (businesstoday.com.my; scmp.com) Jet fuel is usually an airline’s biggest expense after labor, so a sudden rise can force carriers to trim flying, add surcharges, or raise fares. CNBC reported United Airlines and Lufthansa were also preparing schedule cuts or contingency plans as fuel costs climbed. (cnbc.com) The fuel shock has been sharp. CNBC reported United States jet fuel prices rose from $2.50 a gallon on February 27 to $4.88 a gallon on April 2 after the February 28 attack on Iran and the resulting disruption to flows through the Strait of Hormuz. (cnbc.com) The International Air Transport Association’s fuel monitor said the global average jet fuel price rose 7.1 percent week over week to $209 a barrel in the latest reading. Willie Walsh, the group’s director general, said airlines were responding with fare increases and capacity reductions and warned tight supply could last for months. (iata.org; aviationweek.com; money.usnews.com) Cathay is making the cuts from a position of profitability, not collapse. Swire Pacific’s 2025 annual report showed Cathay Pacific Airways booked HK$116.8 billion in revenue and HK$10.8 billion in profit for 2025. (swirepacific.com) That makes this a pricing and supply story more than a demand story. Cathay said in March that the first two months of 2026 had started strongly, helped by Lunar New Year travel, before fuel costs forced the airline to pull back part of its schedule. (news.cathaypacific.com) For travelers, the near-term effect is simpler than the fuel market behind it: fewer seats, fewer route choices, and a higher chance that expensive long-haul flying gets cut first. Cathay’s next move now depends less on bookings than on whether jet fuel prices ease before the end of June. (cnbc.com; cnbc.com)