Dan Jorgensen, the EU's energy commissioner, on Wednesday (22 April) said holidaymakers could face higher airfares or even flight cancellations if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, intensifying pressure on jet fuel supplies.
Jorgensen told Sky News it was "very likely" some holidays would be affected. "Even if we do everything we can do, if the jet fuel is not there, then it’s not there," he said.
The missive follows a warning from the International Energy Agency last week that Europe could face major fuel supply issues within the next five to six weeks, prompting concerns about the viability of the peak summer season.
Airlines are already feeling the impact of the war in Iran, with easyJet last week disclosing a £25 million hit from increased fuel costs in March.
Are airlines really going to run out of fuel this summer?
Carriers have started adjusting their operations, including Lufthansa Group, which has announced plans to cut 20,000 short-haul flights between now and October.
Lufthansa said the cuts represent a 1% reduction in capacity and are focused on "unprofitable" short-haul services, primarily from Frankfurt and Munich, while expanding some routes through Zurich, Vienna and Brussels.
Some short-term schedule changes in April and May have already been implemented, including 120 daily flight cancellations.
'Crisis of price, not yet supply'
Lufthansa has temporarily removed three destinations – Bydgoszcz, Rzeszow and Stavanger – from its schedule, while a further 10 routes are being consolidated through other Lufthansa Group hubs. Updated summer scheduling is due to be published in late April or early May.
Lufthansa said it expects a largely stable fuel supply for scheduled summer operations and is pursuing physical fuel procurement and price hedging measures.
Speaking to Sky News, Jorgensen said: "Unfortunately, it's very likely many people's holidays will be affected, either by flight cancellations or very, very expensive tickets. Even if we do everything we can do, if the jet fuel is not there, then it's not there.
"[Currently] it is primarily a crisis of prices and not yet a crisis of supply, but unfortunately, we cannot be sure to prevent a crisis of supply, especially on jet fuel in the future, if the crisis continues."
