Aer Lingus is reportedly set to cancel more than 500 flights over the coming weeks with routes from Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports all said to be impacted
A major airline is reportedly set to cancel more than 500 flights in the coming weeks.
Aer Lingus said a number of cancellations have been necessary due to “mandatory maintenance” on aircraft.
According to the Irish Independent, internal Aer Lingus documents show the airline is cancelling flights from Dublin, Shannon, and Cork airports in Ireland.
Departures from Dublin to several major European destinations including Berlin, Zurich, Athens, Faro and Amsterdam, are set to be pulled from the schedule on various dates over the next few weeks, the report states. Busy routes to London Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and Edinburgh also face cancellations. Passengers will reportedly be rebooked on to other services.
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Transatlantic routes to and from Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis-St Paul and Toronto will also be affected, according to the documents.
An Aer Lingus spokesperson told RSVP Live: “Aer Lingus has commenced operating its planned summer schedule. A number of recent cancellations have been required due to mandatory maintenance on aircraft, along with a limited number of schedule adjustments. Where schedule adjustments are being made, the vast majority of customers are being reaccommodated on same day services.”
This follows growing concerns surrounding Europe’s jet fuel supply. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol described it as “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced” arising from the disruption of oil, gas and other essential supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
“In the past there was a group called ‘Dire Straits.’ It’s a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy. And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world,” he told the AP.
The consequences will mean “higher petrol (gasoline) prices, higher gas prices, high electricity prices”, he added.
If the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened, he went on: “I can tell you soon we will hear the news that some of the flights from city A to city B might be canceled as a result of lack of jet fuel.”
Earlier this month, Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary cautioned that flights could be cancelled this summer owing to the soaring cost of jet fuel.
He told ITV News: “We’re all facing an unknown scenario. And we are certainly looking at maybe having to cancel 5 per cent, 10 per cent of flights through May, June and July.” Should passengers find their flight cancelled, O’Leary suggested they should ‘blame Trump’ rather than the airline.
