People urged not to cancel flights over fuel shortage fears

Holidaymakers are being urged not to change their travel plans due to concerns over jet fuel supplies, as there is currently no shortage in the UK and contingency plans are in place.

Airlines have cut 13,000 flights globally in May as jet fuel prices soar due to the conflict in the Middle East.

But that only amounts to 1% of global flights, and flights in and out of the UK are largely unaffected.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed Munich and Istanbul were among the worst-hit destinations.

There is "no need" for people to change their travel plans, the Department for Transport (DfT) said in a statement

"UK airlines buy jet fuel in advance, and airports maintain stocks to support their resilience.

"If your flight is cancelled, you have clear legal rights, including the right to a full refund or re-routing."

"We advise passengers to continue checking with their airlines before they travel, and to check the FCDO travel advice for the latest updates. You should also ensure you have appropriate travel insurance," DfT said.

British airlines and travel agents have said that flights were operating as normal and there are no issues with supply at the moment.

Airlines have, however, welcomed the government's contingency plans which will prevent them from losing take-off and landing slots if they cancel flights.

The cuts come ahead of the English half-term holidays at the end of the month.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said "no flights are being cancelled due to fuel shortages".

"UK airlines are planning to operate their full schedules this summer, including the May half-term," he said.

Abta, which represents British travel agents, said that "planes are taking off daily and people are continuing to get away on their holidays".

"The government and airlines are clear that there isn't a problem with fuel supply. If you have a holiday booked in for the coming months – including the May half term – we expect it to go ahead as planned," added Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer.

UK flights to "key summer sun destinations" are currently unaffected, according to Advantage Travel Partnership, which represents small travel agents.

Chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said "airlines will be assessing poor performance flights and consolidating or cancelling as required".

But overall, she said, the impact of the May cancellations would be "marginal".

Airlines cancel 2% of flights the day before departure under normal circumstances, according to consumer group Which?.

Jet fuel prices more than doubled after the war began — one tonne was trading at $831 in late February, and by early April, it hit a high of $1,838. It is currently trading around $1,500.

Many airlines have already pushed up ticket prices, particularly for long-haul flights.Air France, KLM, Air Canada, Delta and SAS have already trimmed their summer schedules.

The German group Lufthansa said earlier this month it would remove 20,000 flights between now and the end of October.

Its finance chief said that while fuel supplies were secured until June, contingency plans could include adding refuelling stops on some longer routes if planes cannot be refuelled at the destination.

However, budget carriers Wizz Air and easyJet have said they do not expect to cancel flights.

Wizz Air's chief executive has said that some European flight prices were falling as airlines try to attract hesitant customers.

In mid-April, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises 32 member governments on energy supply and security,warned that Europe had Europe would face jet fuel shortages by June unless more can be secured from elsewhere.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said package holidays offered greater protection as operators have legal obligations to their customers if their plans are disrupted.

The UK government has said airlines will be allowed to cancel flights weeks in advance, without losing valuable take off and landing slots at busy airports, if they face fuel shortages this summer.

They will also be able to merge flights on routes with multiple trips to the same destination on the same day, meaning passengers could be moved from their original booking to a similar one to save fuel.

At the weekend, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was confident most people travelling this summer would have a similar experience to last year.

Alexander said there was currently no disruption to the supply of jet fuel, but "this clearly is an evolving situation".

The government has also introduced a temporary rule change allowing airlines to group passengers from different flights together on to fewer planes to save fuel.

The UK imports about 65% of the jet fuel it uses, a significant portion of which comes from the Middle East under normal circumstances.

But the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a key route for oil and liquefied natural gas – means those supplies cannot get through.