Jet Fuel Prices Double from Middle East Conflict; European Airlines Cancel Flights, Adjust Fares

Transavia, a low-cost carrier owned by the Air France-KLM group, announced cancellations of some flights scheduled between May and June 2026, citing the geopolitical context in the Middle East and its impact on aviation fuel prices. Affected passengers can select a voucher, full refund, or free rebooking, with options provided within 24 hours in most cases.

KLM, another Air France-KLM subsidiary, cancelled 160 flights to and from Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands for May 2026.

These cancellations account for less than 1% of KLM's European flights that month. The airline stated that rising kerosene costs rendered the routes financially unviable. Turkish Airlines suspended 18 international routes and reduced frequencies across its network, with changes effective from May and June 2026.

The suspensions affect European, African, and Asian destinations, including Aqaba, Billund, Bissau, Ferghana, Freetown, Havana, Hurghada, Juba, Kinshasa, Kirkuk, Leipzig/Halle, Libreville, Luanda, Lusaka, Monrovia, Najaf, Pointe Noire, and Turkistan.

The final flight from Istanbul to Hurghada operates on June 2, 2026, and all 2027 services to that destination have been removed. Flights to Luanda, Angola, will pause from May 3 until November 25, 2026, after notification to the Portuguese National Civil Aviation Authority.

From July 2026, Turkish Airlines will end an average of three weekly services to Sarajevo, and reduce Zagreb flights to two per week starting in June. Last month, the carrier added 15 weekly frequencies to London Stansted in the UK. SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, introduced a €10 temporary fuel surcharge on all routes from Türkiye to Europe starting May 1, 2026.

The fee applies to passengers booking on or after April 1, 2026, for travel from May onward. Lufthansa grounded 20,000 flights earlier in May 2026 and axed 20,000 summer flights operated by its regional subsidiary CityLine to address jet fuel costs. Ryanair and Volotea also cut flights due to high prices.

Several airlines plan to reduce flights to the UK, including KLM, Air Canada, Asiana Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, and SAS. IAG, EasyJet, and Jet2Holidays stated they will maintain current schedules. Air France-KLM, Indigo, IAG, Pakistan International Airlines, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines-SunExpress, and Virgin Atlantic announced plans to increase fares or luggage charges.

Volotea will add a surcharge to already-sold tickets. TUI will not raise prices for customers who have booked holidays, with fixed rates and no added fuel surcharges. 7% increase in European jet fuel prices since last year.

Prices roughly doubled during March and the first half of April 2026 due to the US-Israel war on Iran, which began in February 2026, and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping since early March. Long-haul fares rose sharply: London to Melbourne flights in June 2026 cost 76% more than last year, and London to Hong Kong fares increased 72%, according to consultancy Teneo.

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54 billion in the final quarter of 2025. The company anticipates lower upstream production in Q2 2026 compared to Q1. 5% in morning trading.

Spain's industry and tourism minister Jordi Hereu stated on April 27, 2026, that travelers should purchase tickets soon. " Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, noted that regional airport traffic remains 30% below 2019 levels. He said smaller airports face an existential threat from high fuel prices and potential cancellations, compounded by the EU's entry-exit system.