An airline CEO has pulled back the cover and revealed some airports have already run out of fuel sparking fears and speculation airlines will be forced to cut flights during this year’s World Cup
An Airline CEO has announced a number of airports are “already running out of jet fuel” as other experts have estimated a staggering 85,000 flights could be grounded in a single month ahead of the World Cup if the fuel crisis continues.
Carsten Spohr, CEO of the German airline Lufthansa, has stated one of the firm’s passenger planes was unable to refuel due to fuel shortages, after touching down in Cape Town, South Africa, last week. The passenger jet was forced to fly 900 miles north to Namibia to fill up before returning to its original destination.
Spohr said: “If you cannot reach your target airport with the fuel that you’ve got, then you have to do refuelling stops – we are not there yet, but we are preparing for this.” Francois-Joseph Schichan, head of Flint Global’s Geopolitics practice has warned flights uncertainty over fuel could cause havoc for fans flocking to North America to enjoy the World Cup.
He said: “Whilst the routes to North America are most profitable for airlines and therefore least likely to be cancelled, the uncertainty for fans planning to attend the World Cup in the US, Mexico or Canada, particularly for a short trip, might put at least some of them off from travelling.”
Aviation analytics firm Cirium have revealed globally airlines have cut two million seats from May’s schedules over the past two weeks. The number of seats this month plummeted from 132,619,704 in mid April to 130,674,864 in late April. However the worst may be yet to come as some experts believe 10 per cent of flights could be at risk in June if the fuel crisis persists.
This would result in a staggering 85,000 flight cancellations. Paul Charles, of the travel consultancy The PC Agency, has pulled back the lid and said airlines have resorted to cutting flights as jet fuel supply becomes more scarce. Charles said: “Airlines are now being forced to cut flights and make difficult decisions ahead of the peak season.
“It is better for them to cancel flights well in advance so that passengers are less inconvenienced than a last-minute change of plan. As the Iran conflict continues, there will need to be many more cancellations as the jet fuel supply is squeezed.
“I think carriers may have to look at cutting up to 10 per cent of flights if the squeeze on jet fuel supplies continues. Recent UK government changes in slot rules mean that airlines don’t have to fear losing their slots the more they cancel.”
Charles has added the number of cancellations depends on the market. This means some flights and airlines will be impacted more severely than others. However he is certain airlines will be bracing for the “worst-case scenario” and a sustained period of reduced fuel supplies.
Last week Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told Brits they might need to rethink “where they go on holiday this year” despite government messaging claiming Brits had no need to change their current holiday plans.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “UK airlines are clear that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel. Aviation fuel is typically bought in advance and airports and suppliers keep stocks of bunkered fuel to support their resilience.
“We continue to work with fuel suppliers, airports, airlines and international counterparts to keep flights operating. We are also consulting on measures to help airlines plan realistic flight schedules which will avoid last-minute disruption and protect holidays.”
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