UK travel update amid flight cancellations & jet fuel fears

Some 120 flights from the UK this month have been cancelled, new figures show, as jet fuel prices surge and fears of shortages grow.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said airlines have axed 120 of the 22,613 departures initially scheduled from UK airports in May, equivalent to 0.53%.

The number of outbound flights planned for June is 36 lower than a week ago.

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This represents a 0.2% reduction and means capacity for the month has fallen by 7,972 seats.

However, a new joint statement from the Department for Transport, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office says that there is currently “no need for passengers to change their travel plans”.

It said: “UK airlines say that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel. The government is working with industry and international partners to keep passengers moving.”

Is there a shortage of jet fuel in the UK?

The statement said: “UK airlines are clear that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel. It is typically bought in advance, with airports and their suppliers keeping stocks of bunkered fuel to support their resilience.

“There is no current need to change upcoming travel plans. Government regularly meets with industry to monitor risks, understand pressures and ensure clear communication with passengers, should circumstances change.

“We recognise that families may be concerned, and that aviation and tourism businesses are operating in challenging global conditions. We are working hand‑in‑hand with industry to help flights keep operating.

“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.”

Are airlines cancelling lots of flights?

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said airlines are “assessing poor performance flights and consolidating or cancelling as required”.

She added that UK departures to popular summer hotspots “remain unaffected” and insisted “customers can continue to book with confidence”.

The Government statement added: “While there has been media reporting on flights cancelled internationally in May, data from Cirium shows only 0.53% of the UK’s planned flights for the month have been cancelled. The majority of these UK cancellations are to and from the Middle East due to the conflict.

“This is within the range of the number of cancellations we would expect in a normal year, and we continue to monitor the situation. In previous years, we typically saw around 1% of all flights arriving or departing from the UK cancelled.”

The statement added that the UK Government was working with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to ensure passengers keep moving.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said summer holiday plans will not face major disruption because of the latter.

She revealed that more fuel has been imported from America, while refineries have upped their production.

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.