Flight cancellations have begun in the UK due to the fuel impact caused by the US-Israel war in Iran.
The airline Skybus has announced that its flights between Cornwall Airport Newquay and London Gatwick will be canceled suddenly from April 2, due to “circumstances beyond our control”.
Customers expecting to travel in April and May are still contacting the airline, and will receive a full refund, the airline said.
Chief executive Jonathan Hinkles blamed the “significant increase in fuel prices after the Gulf war” as well as the drop in passenger numbers.
“At a time of great economic uncertainty and measures being taken to conserve energy around the world, it does not make environmental or economic sense for us to continue flying with significantly reduced passenger numbers,” Hinkles said.
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Guernsey Airport Aurigny said last week will be reducing flights between the island and London City Airport between mid-April and early June, as well as combining services to and from South-West England between Exeter and Bristol.
Most of Wednesday’s flights to and from Paris, France, have also been pushed back until June, it said.
The airline is also adding a temporary fuel adjustment fee of £2 to all bookings made from 20 March onwards.
“With the immediate end of the Middle East regional conflict in sight, the prices of jet fuel have also increased significantly and show significant daily fluctuations,” said Aurigny’s spokesman.
Customers affected by the changes are contacting the airline directly.
“Even as a small island nation, we are not immune to the realities of the global travel environment,” said Philip Saunders, Aurigny’s chief commercial officer.
“Recent global events are affecting consumer confidence and changing travel behavior. In addition, a significant increase in oil prices worldwide is now at the level of airlines.
“Unfortunately, we have to pass on some costs to customers to ensure stable air services to and from Guernsey.”
Saunders said the airline hoped to welcome holidaymakers to the UK from July onwards.
No British airlines have canceled flights so far. British Airways told ITV News: “UK airlines are currently experiencing no disruption to jet fuel supplies and are continuing to work with fuel suppliers and the government to monitor the situation.”
The Iran war has had a global impact on the price of fuel and energy as the Strait of Hormuz – the main waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil travels – remains largely closed.
The price of Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, rose above $100 a barrel during the war for the first time since 2022.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary warned on Wednesday that high jet fuel prices could cause disruption in May and June if the war does not end soon, with the UK the hardest hit in Europe.
“Of all the countries in Europe at the moment, the most vulnerable is the UK because of the market share that Kuwait has here,” O’Leary said.
“There may be a lot of A-1 jet fuel in the Middle East, but you still have to send it to Europe and we don’t know when or how that happens.”
Many other countries have already seen flight cancellations due to the war, with Air New Zealand announcing March 12 added 1,100 flights through early May on jet fuel prices.
Vietnam Airlines has reduced flights on domestic and international routes, and some regional routes across Australia are not being flown.
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