Stock image of a British Airways plane taking off from London Heathrow Airport.
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The British government announced on Sunday that it will temporarily allow airlines to consolidate passengers onto fewer planes during the summer holidays. The move is aimed at preventing last-minute flight cancellations as jet fuel costs remain high amid uncertainty over the Iran war.
Britain says the plan will allow airlines to return some of their takeoff and landing slots for next season without losing them.
“These temporary measures will allow airlines to, for example, consolidate schedules on routes with multiple flights to the same destination on the same day,” the government said in a statement.
The loss of jet fuel in the Middle East due to the Iran war is fast becoming a serious logistics problem for Europe, according to Société Générale analysts.
Jet fuel prices have soared since the start of the Middle East war on February 28, when the vital Strait of Hormuz was closed.
The average price of jet fuel rose to $179 per barrel in the week ending April 24, well above the prewar average, according to the International Air Travel Association’s Jet Fuel Price Monitor.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told CNBC on Thursday that his airline was protected because it had hedged 80% of its fuel, but he predicted other airlines would be “virtually bankrupt” if jet fuel prices did not fall.
U.S. low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines suspended operations on Saturday after failing to reach an agreement with bondholders on an 11th-hour bailout by the Trump administration. Rising costs, including fuel, have been added to the list of problems airlines have faced over the years to keep them flying.
The UK government said: “Emergency preparedness is designed to give families more peace of mind when traveling this summer by enabling airlines to make realistic plans and confirm schedules early, making people less likely to be affected by sudden changes at airports.”
The government said airlines could “move passengers onto similar services much earlier to avoid stressful delays at airports”.
The plan would also prevent airlines from operating flights for which they do not sell “a significant portion of their tickets” and “reduce fuel wastage by flying planes closer to the sky.”
British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the government has been monitoring jet fuel supplies daily and working with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to prevent problems before they arise,” adding: “There are no immediate supply issues.”
The head of the UK-registered airline trade association welcomed the proposal.
British Airways chief executive Tim Alderslade said in a statement: “British airlines continue to operate as normal and there are no issues with jet fuel supplies.”
