How the plane fuel crisis affects holidays: Airline messages after cancellations and price hikes

Airlines are signaling an improvement in aircraft fuel supply after months of uncertainty and warnings, though they acknowledge that risks have not entirely disappeared. Travelers should still be prepared for potential flight cancellations and increased costs.

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All the information we receive from the government, when we discuss with the Department for Transport (DFT), indicates that there is no shortage. The visibility for the next one or two months is very, very good, and this is not abnormal in terms of how airlines have visibility on future supply.

In recent months, carriers grappled with rising costs and supply chain disruptions, exacerbated by global conflicts and the impact on essential energy routes. Major airlines like Cathay Pacific, Qantas Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Lufthansa had previously warned of supply difficulties and the potential for grounded aircraft. This uncertainty led many tourists to postpone holiday bookings, opting for last-minute reservations instead.

Despite market concerns, an airline industry CEO stated at a conference that official information does not point to an immediate fuel shortage. "All the information we receive from the government... indicates that there is no shortage," he said, adding that visibility for the next one to two months is "very, very good." He suggested that airlines are anticipating a surge in last-minute bookings and that temporary slot reductions were a precautionary measure.

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I think at present airlines consider that last-minute bookings will be a determining factor, and the government has implemented a temporary measure to reduce slots simply as a precautionary and emergency measure, which is something that some parts of the LX sector are asking for just to introduce some resilience into that system.

"I wouldn't say we're completely out of the woods; we don't know how to act in certain situations, but I think we are in a better situation than we were probably a few months ago," he concluded optimistically. Meanwhile, Wizz Air announced an expansion of flights to Greek islands for summer 2026, offering ten routes from Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara.

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So, I wouldn't say we're completely out of the woods; we don't know how to act in certain situations, but I think we are in a better situation than we were probably a few months ago.