A major airline is temporarily cancelling six domestic routes later this summer as the current war in the Middle East has caused higher costs and increased jet fuel prices. American Airlines said its routes originating in, or flying to California, are going to be affected until autumn.
AFAR magazine reported that the airline plans to pause the routes between August 5 and October 5, due to the period’s lower travel demand. The airline said the affected passengers will be offered either alternative itineraries or refunds.
American Airlines also listed the affected routes:
AFAR also said jet fuel prices have “climbed considerably”. Before the war in Iran, jet fuel was selling for roughly $85 to $90 per barrel. In the weeks that followed, prices surged as high as $200 per barrel, the magazine added.
The CEO of Airlines UK has recently delivered an update on the jet fuel crisis and what this means for travel, including throughout the summer holidays. “All of the information from the government, when we speak to the designated Department for Transport (DFT), is that we’re not seeing a shortage. Visibility certainly over the next one or two [months] is very, very good, and that is not abnormal in terms of how airlines have visibility of future supply,” Tim Alderslade said.
Following the outbreak of US-Israeli strikes on February 28, air travel was plunged into chaos, with route cancellations and a dramatic increase in jet fuel prices. The situation deteriorated significantly when Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas flows, sparking a global shortage.
Several airlines axed numerous flights between May 16 and June 30. Qantas Airways and Virgin Atlantic raised alarms about supply shortages and escalating costs. Lufthansa, one of Europe’s largest airlines, also cautioned in April that grounding aircraft due to fuel shortages “may be unavoidable”.
The tensions in the Middle East caused oil prices to surge, triggering substantial increases across all fuel types, from petrol and diesel to aviation fuel.
Motorists have faced significant pain at the forecourt, with both fuel types rising sharply and remaining considerably higher than pre-conflict levels. A major factor has been the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of global oil supplies pass.
