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UK Reassures Travellers as Fuel Squeeze Drives 13,000 May Flight Cuts

Analysts warn Europe could breach the IEA’s 23‑day jet‑fuel stock threshold in June, raising the risk of deeper schedule cuts and higher fares.

Overview

  • UK authorities issued a joint statement Thursday telling passengers they do not need to change plans and reminding them of refund or re‑routing rights if flights are cancelled.
  • Airlines have removed about 13,000 flights from May schedules worldwide, equal to roughly two million seats, with the steepest reductions at Istanbul and Munich, according to Cirium.
  • Cirium’s UK snapshot shows 1,468 departures were stripped out during April schedule revisions, while The Independent now counts about 120 net cancellations across UK airports for May.
  • Ministers temporarily eased airport slot rules so carriers can combine passengers onto fewer flights to conserve fuel and cut last‑minute disruption, which may mean travellers are moved to alternative services.
  • Goldman Sachs estimates Europe could fall below the IEA’s 23‑day warning level in June if Strait of Hormuz flows stay constrained, a risk made worse because replacement shipments take weeks to arrive and could push more route cuts and fare rises into summer.