British holidaymakers have been told their summer travel plans will not be affected despite growing concerns about rising jet fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.Both easyJet and Jet2 said they had no fuel supply issues and would continue to operate scheduled flights without charging customers a fuel surcharge.The reassurances come amid concerns that the conflict involving Iran and the risks of disruption around the Strait of Hormuz could lead to higher airline costs and impact flights during the peak holiday season.These reassurances come amid concerns that the conflict involving Iran and the risks of disruption around the Strait of Hormuz will lead to higher airline costs and impact flights during the peak holiday season.Concerns about travel disruption have already increased in recent weeks, with aviation analytics firm Cirium reporting a sharp rise in cancellations during May.
According to the company, 296 departures from UK airports were canceled during the month, representing 0.75 percent of all scheduled flights, Independence newspaper reported.EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis said passengers should not worry about their bookings, telling BBC Radio 4 that the airline had not seen any fuel shortages across its network.“We have had no problems at all with fuel supplies at any of our airports in the UK, across Europe, or indeed beyond,” he said.
easyJet Holidays has also told customers that their trips will “continue as planned” with no additional charges linked to fuel costs.However, Jarvis warned that higher oil prices could eventually impact prices later in the summer once current fuel hedging arrangements end.Jet2 issued a similar guarantee, saying customers would not face additional charges for flights or holidays due to higher jet fuel prices.The airline said passengers will pay the price agreed upon at the time of booking and added that customers will continue to receive refunds and flexible options in the event of cancellation.Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy said the company remained confident about fuel availability after receiving encouraging updates from suppliers.“We are in regular dialogue with our fuel suppliers, and the current picture is one of increased production and imports, which means we continue to look forward with confidence,” he said.The update came at a time when the head of the International Air Transport Association warned travelers to expect air ticket prices to rise if oil prices continue to rise.IATA Director General Willie Walsh said airlines would eventually have to pass on high fuel costs to passengers.“There may be some cases where airlines offer discounts to stimulate some traffic flow,” he told the BBC.“But over time, higher oil prices will inevitably be reflected in higher ticket prices.”While Walsh said there were no immediate concerns about jet fuel shortages, he warned that the industry may have difficulties absorbing continued oil price increases linked to instability in the region.
