Fuel Crisis Worsens, 13,000 Global Flights Cancelled

A number of global airlines have collectively slashed around 13,000 flights during May 2026. This is due to the surging price of aviation fuel, which continues to burden flight operations amid an aircraft fuel crisis triggered by the Iran conflict. According to Euro News on Thursday (7/5/2026), data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that global airlines have cut nearly two million flight seats in just the last two weeks of April. The number of available seats during May has dropped from 132 million to 130 million. These cuts are expected to have a significant impact on passengers, particularly families planning to travel during the half-term holidays in the UK and several European countries at the end of May. Several major European airlines that have begun cancelling flights include Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, and KLM. In addition to cancelling flights, many airlines are also starting to replace aircraft with smaller sizes to save fuel. Lufthansa is one of the airlines most affected. The German carrier is cutting around 20,000 short-haul routes from its summer schedule. The surge in aviation fuel prices itself was triggered by the Iran conflict that has been ongoing since February. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is said to have disrupted about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply and caused jet fuel prices to more than double. As a result, many global airlines are raising ticket prices on popular routes, halting flights on less popular routes, and operating smaller aircraft to reduce fuel consumption. The UK government has even begun taking emergency measures. UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander announced that rules on using flight slots at UK airports will be temporarily suspended. This means airlines like British Airways can reduce their flight schedules without fear of losing their airport slots to competitors. Amid the spring and summer holiday season that is already underway, passengers are also at risk of sudden schedule changes. In some cases, passengers whose flights are not cancelled could be moved to other flights on different days, potentially shortening the duration of their holidays.