TUI, Jet2, Ryanair and EasyJet have issued reassuring updates to UK passengers about summer holiday flights
The airline has said it “can’t carry expectant mothers” who are over a certain week(Image: Getty )
Airlines have moved to reassure passengers ahead of the summer getaway, issuing fresh updates as the escalating conflict in the Middle East fuels anxiety over potential jet‐fuel shortages.
Oil prices have surged in the wake of joint US–Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, forcing Tehran to retaliate against American allies in the region and to close the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping lane through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.
With no long‐term peace agreement in sight and even the current ceasefire looking fragile, concerns are mounting over the stability of fuel supplies in the months ahead, reports the Irish Mirror.
Those worries have begun to spill into the travel sector, where questions over jet‐fuel availability are casting a shadow over the peak holiday season.
Airlines including TUI, Jet2, Ryanair and EasyJet have issued statements to customers, providing assurance that operations will continue with minimal disruption/
TUI
TUI has reassured holidaymakers that flights will operate as scheduled, although higher fares may be introduced.
CFO Mathais Kiep has confirmed that sufficient fuel reserves have been secured for the coming 10 weeks. While fuel expenditure may have risen, hedging mechanisms and reduced consumption patterns could help mitigate the immediate operational pressures.
The operator has suggested that pricing adjustments, rather than cancelled services, are the more probable outcome.
Ryanair
Ryanair has declared it has “almost zero concerns” regarding jet fuel supplies for the summer period, according to Travel and World Tour. The carrier attributes this confidence to abundant alternative fuel sources available throughout Europe. The budget airline has warned that delaying flight bookings until later in the summer months may lead to higher ticket prices.
EasyJet
EasyJet has confirmed that its services continue to operate normally despite the fuel crisis.
The airline has introduced its Book With Confidence Promise, which ensures that fares remain fixed following booking, offering protection to travellers against any potential fuel surcharge variations.
Jet2
Jet2 has seen an increasing number of passengers opting for package holidays. Chief Executive Steve Heapy has stated that package holidays offer peace of mind during uncertain periods.
The aviation industry insists it is not currently experiencing any supply shortages, owing to the standard six-week forward visibility of fuel stocks, although international bodies have warned that Europe may face jet fuel shortages should the Middle East conflict continue to affect supplies.
The UK government has indicated that preventative measures might be implemented to avoid eleventh-hour disruption for holidaymakers during the summer period. Such measures include rationalising timetables on routes where several flights to identical destinations were operating on the same day.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed there are no “immediate supply issues”, while adding that the government was “preparing now to give families long-term certainty and avoid unnecessary disruption at the departure gate this summer”.
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