According to a report in the New York Times, European airlines have begun dramatically cutting flights. German airline giant Lufthansa announced that it would cancel nearly 20,000 flights in the next six months in an effort to save on jet fuel. Dutch airline KLM also announced the cancellation of 160 flights to major destinations such as London and Düsseldorf, and other companies are expected to follow suit.
While American airlines, such as United, which has already raised prices five times, benefit from the backing of domestic oil reserves and refining infrastructure, their counterparts in Europe and Asia are much more dependent on oil from the Middle East. A J.P. Morgan report this week estimated that fuel supplies in Europe are only guaranteed until mid-to-late May, leading to widespread cuts starting in June.
Consumer prices are responding accordingly. The cost of jet fuel worldwide has jumped more than 70 percent since the outbreak of war in late February, according to the Platts Index. Airlines are passing on these costs to passengers by raising ticket prices, increasing baggage fees and adding fuel surcharges. Data from the search engine Kayak shows that the average price for an international flight from the United States jumped from $776 in February to $1,064 in April.
"There's a level of uncertainty here that we haven't seen since the Corona era when it comes to travel," noted tourism expert Katie Nestro. Dr. Rob Britton, a former executive at American Airlines, added to The New York Times that it will take months for fuel and flight prices to stabilize even after the war ends, describing the situation as "a complete mess."
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