13,000 Global flights cut down in May as fuel prices soar due to conflict

The global unrest in the Middle East has started affecting the aviation sector, and with jet fuel prices skyrocketing globally, the airlines have axed roughly 13,000 flights for the month of May. This move has effectively stripped two million seats from the market just as the UK prepares for the busy half-term holidays. In fact, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the aviation industry is feeling the crisis. Here’s more about it…

The impact on aviation
As per a report published in a digital daily citing data from Cirium, Istanbul and Munich have taken the hardest hits so far, though major carriers like Lufthansa have signaled even deeper cuts, with plans to scrap 20,000 flights through October. The primary driver is a staggering spike in fuel costs. Since the war began, the price of a single ton of jet fuel has more than doubled, leaping from $831 in late February to a peak of $1,838 in early April.

While airlines currently report steady supplies, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that Europe could face genuine shortages by June if alternative sources aren't secured. The situation is particularly precarious for the UK, which imports 65% of its jet fuel, much of it via the now-obstructed Strait of Hormuz.
British holidaymakers do not need to worry much about the news they are hearing. The flights that were cancelled in May are a small part of all the flights in the world. In fact, they are one percent of all global flights. If we look at the flights that leave the United Kingdom, the cancelled flights are only 0.53 percent.

How did it affect travel?
Julia Lo Bue-Said from the Advantage Travel Partnership said that people who want to go to places with weather for their summer vacation will probably not be affected. This is because airlines are mostly cancelling flights that are not doing well. The government of the United Kingdom is trying to help by introducing something called "slot flexibility." This means that airlines that fly to airports like Heathrow can cancel flights ahead of time without losing their rights to take off and land. For people who are still planning to travel, things are a bit mixed. Some big airlines like Air France-KLM and Delta are reducing the number of flights they have. Increasing the price of tickets to make up for the high cost of fuel. Wizz Air said that the price of some flights in Europe is actually going down to attract people who are not sure if they want to travel.

Policies and people
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, says that most people will have a summer vacation that's similar to what they had last year. She also said that things can still change and we need to wait and see what happens. British holidaymakers should remember that the situation with holidaymakers and their flights is still evolving and their summer vacations are the concern in this condition.