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Published 10:19 23 Apr 2026 BST

The global aviation industry is in the middle of its worst fuel crisis in years and it's affecting all of us in different ways.
Since US-Israeli strikes on Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz in late February, jet fuel prices have roughly doubled, surging from around $85–$90 per barrel to as high as $150–$200.
Given that fuel accounts for nearly a third of what it costs to run an airline, carriers have been left with a brutal choice: pass the costs on to passengers, or start cancelling flights altogether. Most are doing both.
The International Energy Agency has warned Europe may have as little as six weeks of jet fuel reserves left, calling it the world's 'largest energy crisis'.
With approximately 75% of Europe's supply flowing through the now-disrupted Strait, the bloc is particularly exposed and analysts have cautioned that if oil doesn't start moving again soon, what are currently relatively modest cuts could turn 'systemic' by the height of summer.
Even just today, Sky News reported that holidays are 'very likely' to be at risk.
Here's every airline that has confirmed action so far.
Aegean Airlines Greece's national carrier has warned of a 'notable impact' on its first-quarter results following suspended Middle East routes and the fuel price spike.
AirAsia X The Malaysian long-haul budget airline has cut 10% of its flights and slapped roughly a 20% fuel surcharge on ticket prices.
Air Canada Canada's biggest carrier is dropping four of its 38 daily New York flights between 1 June and 25 October 2026.
Air France-KLM Air France is adding €50 (around £43) per round trip on long-haul fares. Dutch arm KLM has meanwhile announced the cancellation of 160 European flights next month, describing a growing number of its routes as no longer financially worth operating given current kerosene prices.
Air India The carrier has ditched its flat domestic fuel surcharge in favour of a distance-based system. It has acknowledged that existing international surcharges are simply not keeping pace with the scale of the price rise.
Air New Zealand Air NZ has cut flights through May and June, raised fares, and pulled its full-year earnings guidance entirely.
Akasa Air India's Akasa has introduced domestic and international fuel surcharges ranging from 199 to 1,300 Indian rupees (roughly €2–€12) depending on the route.
Alaska Air Checked bag fees are up, around €4.70 more on the first bag, €9.40 more on the second for North American flights, and the third bag has jumped from around €43 to €175. The airline has also withdrawn its full-year profit forecast.
American Airlines American Airlines First and second checked bags now cost around €9.40 more each, while the fee for a third bag has shot up by roughly €135 on domestic and short-haul international flights. The carrier had already flagged an expected €357m rise in first-quarter costs due to fuel.
Asiana Airlines The South Korean carrier is cutting 22 flights between April and July.
British Airways Parent group IAG has said it isn't planning immediate fare hikes, having hedged a significant portion of its near-term fuel needs. Currently one of the more insulated carriers.
Cathay Pacific Around 2% of scheduled passenger flights are being cancelled between mid-May and the end of June. Budget subsidiary HK Express is cutting around 6% of its schedule. The airline raised fuel surcharges by 34% across all routes from 1 April, and is reviewing them every two weeks.
Cebu Air The Philippines-based carrier has flagged the fuel spike as a major concern and says it's actively reviewing its pricing and network.
China Eastern Airlines The airline has introduced domestic fuel surcharges from 5 April - 60 yuan (around £6) on flights under 800km, and 120 yuan (around €15) on longer domestic routes.
Delta Air Lines Delta is cutting planned capacity by around 3.5 percentage points and has raised checked bag fees. All planned capacity growth for the current quarter has been shelved, and the airline has declined to update its full-year outlook until the fuel situation becomes clearer.
EasyJet The budget carrier is bracing for a first-half pre-tax loss of between €632m and €655m, which includes €29m in additional fuel costs from March alone. Passengers should expect higher fares towards the end of summer, when current hedging arrangements run out.
Frontier Airlines Reviewing its full-year forecast after fuel prices moved significantly since its last guidance was published.
Greater Bay Airlines Fuel surcharges are up on most routes from 1 April. The surcharge on Hong Kong–Philippines flights will more than double, while mainland China and Japan routes are unaffected.
Hong Kong Airlines Surcharges up by as much as 35% from 12 March, with the biggest increases on routes to the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where charges have risen from HK$284 to HK$384 (roughly €34 to €44).
IndiGo India's biggest airline introduced fuel charges on domestic and international flights from 14 March including 900 rupees (around €9) on Middle East routes and 2,300 rupees (around €25) on European ones.
JetBlue Airways The US low-cost carrier has raised optional fees, including baggage charges, by between €3.50 and €8.20. CEO Joanna Geraghty has also publicly ruled out a bankruptcy filing in 2026, moving to quash speculation after JetBlue's founder suggested the airline could go under. The carrier has secured €445m in debt financing backed by aircraft, with an option to raise a further €222m.
Korean Air South Korea's flag carrier officially entered emergency management mode from April, with Vice Chairman Woo Kee-hong warning staff that if high oil prices persist, the damage to annual business targets would be severe. The airline had budgeted for fuel at around $2.20 per gallon however they're now paying closer to $4.50. Phased cost-efficiency measures are being rolled out across the business.
Lufthansa The German giant has made the biggest single call of any carrier so far, cancelling 20,000 flights through to October saving an estimated 40,000 metric tonnes of fuel. The cuts centre on its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine, which is being permanently wound down along with its entire fleet of 27 aircraft. Around 120 daily cancellations are already in place through end of May, with routes from Frankfurt to Bydgoszcz, Rzeszów, and Stavanger dropped entirely. A further ten routes are being rerouted through other group hubs. The cuts span all six Lufthansa Group hubs: Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome. It's worth noting that an extended series of labour strikes involving pilots, cabin crew, and ground staff also played a role in accelerating the decision to close CityLine.
Nigerian Airlines The Airline Operators of Nigeria had threatened to ground all domestic flight operations from 20 April, with carriers stating that soaring fuel costs had made services financially unsustainable. A shutdown was narrowly avoided after Nigeria's Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo intervened and called for emergency talks. The suspension of the planned action is conditional on the outcome of those discussions.
Norse Atlantic The Norwegian budget carrier has permanently cancelled its London Gatwick to Los Angeles route, citing the fuel price surge.
Pakistan International Airlines Domestic fares are up around €18 and international fares have risen by up to €88, with the airline attributing the increases to higher fuel surcharges.
Qantas Airways Australia's national carrier has delayed a planned A$150m (around €88m) share buyback and has raised its fuel cost estimate for the second half of 2026 to A$3.1bn–A$3.3bn (roughly €1.81bn–€1.93bn), up from a previous forecast of A$2.5bn (around €1.46bn).
SAS The Scandinavian carrier cancelled around 1,000 flights in April, following several hundred cuts in March.
Southwest Airlines Checked bag fees are up around €9.40 on both first and second bags.
Spirit Airlines In potentially the most alarming development on this list, Spirit has reportedly asked the Trump administration for hundreds of millions of euros in emergency funding to offset fuel costs and avoid possible liquidation.
Spring Airlines The Chinese budget carrier is raising domestic fuel surcharges from 5 April.
SunExpress The Lufthansa–Turkish Airlines joint venture is adding a temporary €10 (around €10.50) per passenger surcharge on Turkey–Europe routes from 1 May, applying to bookings made from 1 April onwards.
TAP Air Portugal The Portuguese carrier has acknowledged that planned fare increases will only partially cover the fuel cost impact on revenues.
Thai Airways Fares are going up by 10–15% across its network.
TUI Europe's biggest tour operator has cut its profit forecast and suspended revenue guidance entirely. TUI, which operates its own fleet, is 83% hedged on jet fuel for the summer though its shares have still fallen 25% over the past three months.
T'Way Air The South Korean low-cost carrier has announced plans to furlough cabin crew without pay in May and June.
Turkish Airlines Has opted not to pay out any dividend from its 2025 profits, choosing instead to hold on to cash.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has said the airline is planning on oil prices staying above $100 per barrel until the end of 2027, and is cutting unprofitable routes across the next two quarters accordingly. Checked bag fees are up around €9.40 for first and second bags on US, Mexico, Canada, and Latin America routes. United says it has so far managed to pass fare increases on to customers without significantly denting bookings.
VietJet The Vietnamese budget carrier has reduced flight frequency on selected routes due to concerns over potential fuel shortages.
Vietnam Airlines Cancelling 23 domestic flights per week from April, and has formally asked the Vietnamese government to remove an environmental tax on jet fuel.
Virgin Atlantic Fuel surcharges are being added to fares, but CEO Corneel Koster has acknowledged the airline will struggle to turn a profit this year regardless.
Virgin Australia Expecting an additional A$23m–A$30m (roughly €14m–€18m) in fuel costs in the second half of its fiscal year, alongside a 1% cut in capacity in the fourth quarter.
Volotea The Spanish low-cost airline has introduced a new pricing model that directly links ticket prices to fuel costs, potentially adding a post-purchase surcharge of up to €14 (around €14) per passenger per flight.
WestJet The Canadian carrier has cut seat capacity for June and is adding a C$60 (around €39) fuel surcharge to certain bookings, while also consolidating some flights.