UK carriers sound alarm
- Several UK airlines warned ministers that jet‑fuel shortages could force summer cancellations and fare increases. (express.co.uk) - Ryanair, TUI, Jet2 and easyJet were among the carriers raising those concerns to government officials. (express.co.uk) - The industry says hedging and procurement can help, but forecasts still show thousands of European flights at risk this summer. ( )
Britain’s biggest airlines have warned ministers that a jet-fuel squeeze could push up summer fares and force flight cuts within weeks. (iata.org) The warning came from Airlines UK, whose members include British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, TUI, UPS and Virgin Atlantic, in papers sent to ministers and the Civil Aviation Authority on April 21 and reported on April 22. The group said airlines may have to reduce flights and raise prices if disruption “continues or worsens.” (telegraph.co.uk, express.co.uk) The immediate problem is not that planes suddenly cannot fly, but that airlines and airports are watching fuel reserves more closely as supply routes tighten and costs jump. Airlines UK said jet fuel costs had doubled, and fuel typically makes up about one-third of airline costs. (express.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk) The broader trigger is the Middle East war and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, a route that normally carries about 20% of global oil and gas volumes. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, said on April 17 that Europe could start seeing cancellations by the end of May for lack of jet fuel. (telegraph.co.uk, iata.org) Europe is already moving from warnings to contingency planning. Reuters reported on April 22 that the European Union is considering rules that would require countries to hold jet-fuel stockpiles and, if needed, redistribute them to regions facing shortages. (uk.news.yahoo.com) Britain enters that squeeze with a weaker refining base than it once had. CNBC reported that U.K. refinery output fell 41% between 2000 and 2024, and that Britain imported 3.1 times as much kerosene as it produced in 2024. (cnbc.com) That helps explain why the industry is asking for specific government action rather than simply buying more fuel on the market. Airlines UK has called for an updated national fuel emergency plan, more kerosene output from refineries, temporary permission for some U.S.-grade fuel imports, and relief from some taxes and passenger-compensation rules. (telegraph.co.uk, express.co.uk) Airlines are also trying to manage the problem themselves. Lufthansa has already cut 20,000 short-haul flights from May through October to save 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, and industry officials say hedging and procurement can soften the blow but cannot create physical supply that is not there. (telegraph.co.uk, iata.org) For travelers, the timeline now runs through late May and the summer peak. If supply lines stabilize, airlines may absorb more of the shock through higher fares and surcharges; if they do not, the industry’s own warning is that cancellations could follow. (iata.org, washingtonpost.com)
