As the war between the United States and Israel with Iran and the consequent blockade in the Strait of Hormuz reduce the global supply of oil, travelers have valid reasons to worry about the cost and availability of flights.
The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that European countries could run out of aviation fuel in a few weeks, forcing airlines on the continent and carriers that fly to Europe to significantly reduce flight availability.
Many airlines have already increased checked baggage fees or added fuel surcharges, as the global price of aviation kerosene jumped from around $99 per barrel at the end of February to as high as $209 per barrel in early April.
In a sign of the ongoing impact of the conflict on travel, Air Canada said last Friday that it planned to suspend its service to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York from June 1 to October 25 to cut its fuel costs.
Other airlines, from U.S. carriers such as United and Delta to Air France-KLM, SAS, Philippine Airlines and Cathay Pacific in Europe and Asia, have cut routes and raised ticket prices or said they would raise them if the war prevented oil from being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts interviewed by the Associated Press say it is very difficult for airlines to forecast in this environment, which makes it likely that their prices will remain high for some time, until conditions normalize.
On Saturday, Iran again closed navigation through the Strait, in retaliation for the United States’ maintenance of the naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels.
