Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea and other low‑cost carriers are reducing schedules as jet‑fuel prices surge following the Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption to oil supplies has driven fuel costs to historic highs, prompting airlines to pre‑emptively cancel flights before any actual shortage materialises.
Travel‑industry commentator Karen Schaler warned travellers on Instagram that airlines are cutting “thousands of flights” and advised early booking. Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary earlier expressed concern that fuel‑price anxiety was discouraging customers from making reservations.
Low‑cost airlines, which hold just over one‑third of the global market, are particularly vulnerable because their business models depend on slim margins. “If jet‑fuel prices stay at this level, there will have to be a little bit more trimming for low‑cost airlines,” said Dudley Shanley, analyst at Goodbody. The United Nations’ EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned that the summer holiday season could see “flight cancellations or very, very expensive tickets.”
European carriers that lock in fuel at fixed prices are better positioned than many of their counterparts. Nevertheless, several airlines have already announced schedule reductions. Canada’s Air Transat cut six percent of its May‑October programme, while Malaysia’s AirAsia X reduced flights and raised fares by up to 40 percent, eliminating roughly ten percent of its routes. Hungary’s Wizz Air has so far avoided cuts, with chief executive Jozsef Varadi stating the airline prefers to maintain capacity while rivals withdraw it.
Legacy carriers are also scaling back. Lufthansa announced the removal of 20,000 flights from its timetable through October and the suspension of its regional feeder, CityLine. In Europe, Air France‑KLM trimmed two percent of May and June services at its low‑cost subsidiary Transavia, and KLM limited cancellations to one percent of European flights.
Ryanair, while not attributing the moves to fuel, cited high operating costs and taxes when it announced cuts to Berlin routes from October and a 10 percent reduction of flights from Dublin, citing airport capacity constraints. Spain’s Volotea has trimmed nearly one percent of its summer schedule.
The combined effect of soaring jet‑fuel costs and supply‑chain pressures is reshaping airline capacities worldwide. Travelers are likely to face fewer flight options and higher fares during the peak travel period, while airlines continue to adjust schedules to protect profitability.
