Virgin, KLM and Lufthansa cancel 188 flights over jet fuel shortages – full list

Mr Birol told the Associated Press that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so [of] jet fuel left”, with Asian countries including Japan, India and China already “on the front line”.

Airlines including easyJet which have not yet gone so far as to cancel flights have reported tens of millions of pounds in higher jet fuel prices over the last month because of the Iranian conflict.

The Luton-based firm also said it expects to report a headline loss before tax of between £540 million and £560 million for the six months to the end of March, due to “near-term uncertainty around fuel costs and customer demand”.

Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said: “So much depends on what happens next with the Middle East crisis. A swift resolution could remove cost pressures and trigger a flurry of bookings.

“A prolonged crisis could see demand dwindle even further and a succession of cancellations if fuel supplies run dry or are rationed in various parts of the world.”

Virgin Atlantic: Virgin announced that it was scrapping flights from London to Riyadh in April, axing a route that was introduced just 12 months before. The airline said it had taken “the difficult decision” to end the service in compliance with “the latest intelligence, regulatory guidance, demand and operating costs”.

Lufthansa: The German Lufthansa group said this week that it will ground 27 passenger planes in its regional subsidiary amid soaring fuel costs, with the changes taking immediate effect.

KLM: Dutch airline KLM said in mid-April that it would cancel 160 flights in Europe in the coming month, citing rising fuel costs. The Dutch arm of Air France KLM said the cancellations affected less than 1% of its total European flights, adding that it was not currently experiencing a jet fuel shortage.

Skybus: UK-based airline Skybus cancelled all future flights between Cornwall and London due to rising fuel costs on April 1, with managing director Jonathan Hinkles blaming a “huge rise in the cost of fuel following the war in the Gulf”.

Norse Atlantic Airways: Norse Atlantic axed all planned flights between Europe and Los Angeles in its summer schedule this month, including direct connections from London Gatwick and Paris Charles de Gaulle, according to Aviacion Online. The airline said the cancellations were due to an “extraordinary surge in oil prices followed by unpredictable fuel supply shortage constraints across the aviation industry outside of our control”.

Scandinavian Airlines: Scandinavian Airlines was one of the first to respond to the fuel crisis, confirming the cancellation of at least 1,000 in April last month. CEO Anko van der Wefff told Swedish outlet Dagens Industri: “Even if we try to absorb cost increases as much as possible, this is a shock that directly hits the airline industry.”

United Airlines: United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told staff in March that the US-based flier would cut 5% of its capacity in the second and third quarters of 2026 after warning that its annual fuel bill could rise by $11 billion (£8 billion).

Cathay Pacific: Asian airline Cathay Pacific confirmed in April that it would cut 2% of flights between May 16 and June 30, impacting hundreds of routes. The airline said the “last resort” move was the result of increased jet fuel costs.