Surge in Jet Fuel Prices Forces Global Airlines to Cut 2 Million Seats and Cancel 13,000 Schedules

Airlines around the world are beginning to cancel thousands of flights and reduce operational capacity throughout May, amid an escalating fuel crisis sparked by global geopolitical conflicts. This disruption has the potential to severely disrupt the travel plans of millions of passengers, particularly families planning holidays during the school break season. Around 13,000 global flights are scheduled to be cancelled throughout May, while airlines have also cut nearly two million flight seats in the past two weeks, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, as reported by Euronews on Wednesday (6/5/2026). The data shows that total global flight seat capacity has dropped from 132 million to 130 million seats in just the last two weeks of April. Major European Airlines Affected A number of major European airlines are also impacted by this reduction policy, including Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, and Turkish Airlines. Lufthansa is one of the most affected, with cuts of around 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule. These airlines are also starting to use smaller aircraft to save fuel, while raising ticket prices on popular routes. Energy Crisis Triggers Global Disruptions This fuel crisis has been triggered by conflicts involving Iran, which directly impacts global energy supplies. Since the conflict escalated in February, aircraft fuel prices have reportedly more than doubled, largely due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. As a result, many airlines have been forced to raise ticket prices, reduce flight frequencies, and even suspend certain routes.