Flight cancellations in the UK have already begun, with Guernsey’s Aurigny canceling some flights from mid-October to early June due to the Iran conflict. The Channel Islands airline described the cuts as “active measures to deal with the impact of global uncertainty”.
The app has also introduced a “temporary refueling surcharge” of £2 on part of all new bookings. It cannot be used later.
Aviation demand is falling: down 13 percent in May, according to the company. Aurigny therefore canceled some trips to and from Guernsey, and added others.
Flights serving London City Airport have been reduced, and affected passengers have been offered seats on London Gatwick services.
Links from Exeter and Bristol are combined. As a result, some journeys from Bristol to Guernsey will be extended by an hour from the current 55 minutes. The airline said the move was aimed at “maintaining the number of weekly flights while reducing excess seats”.
A planned increase in weekly flights between Paris and Guernsey has been postponed until June.
Airline: Aurigny passengers whose flights have been canceled are temporarily booked on other trips (Aurigny)
Aurigny’s chief commercial officer, Philip Saunders, said: “Although we are a small island nation, we are not immune to the realities of the global travel system.
“Current global events are affecting consumer confidence and changing travel behaviour. In addition, the significant increase in global oil prices is having a major impact on aviation.
“Unfortunately, we have to pass some costs on to customers to ensure stable air services to and from Guernsey.
“While demand for short-term travel continues to decline, we are pleased to see a boost from July onwards, as we welcome more UK holidaymakers back to our safe and beautiful islands.
“Overall, despite all these challenges, we are looking forward to a good year for Guernsey’s travel market.”
Passengers whose journeys are affected by these changes are still contacting the airline directly. They are temporarily leased to other destinations, but can be transferred to another flight five days before or after the first. They can also ask for a full refund.
British Airways returns to Guernsey on 19 April, with a new summer service from London Heathrow.
In addition, Skybus has canceled its future flights between Newquay in Cornwall and London Gatwick due to rising fuel prices. The airline operated daily flights under a “Public Service Obligation” – with financial support from Cornwall Council. The current flight schedule was scheduled to end on May 31.
Chief executive Jonathan Hinkles told the BBC the “significant rise in fuel prices after the Gulf war” had been compounded by a “significant drop” in passenger numbers.
He said: “At a time of great economic uncertainty and measures are being taken to save energy worldwide, it is not right for the environment or the economy for us to continue to fly with a very reduced number of passengers.”
Ryanair flies from London Stansted to Newquay four times a week, and easyJet is due to launch a new twice-weekly service from Gatwick on 23 June.
On Wednesday, Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, warned that some flights could be canceled due to fuel shortages.
In its latest traffic figures for March, Ryanair’s “Load” – the number of seats filled – remained unchanged at 93 per cent.
Read more: Could your holiday flight be canceled due to lack of fuel – and will you have to pay extra?
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