Flight cancellations: How airlines are responding to fuel crisis including cancelling flights and fuel surcharges

Amid spiralling fuel costs as a result of the US and Israel's war with Iran, airlines around the world are facing a spike in costs. The price of oil has surged, with a barrel rising from around $85 to up to $200 in recent weeks, leaving travel firms with massive increases in costs - which they are set to pass on to customers.

As European firms warned there could be just six weeks of jet fuel left, Fatih Birol, of the International Energy Agency, said airlines were in the midst of “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced”, with flight cancellations coming if the Strait of Hormuz - a vital passageway for oil - remains closed.

Airlines are responding to the crisis in various ways, seeing flights cancelled and fuel surcharges added. Here’s what to expect from individual air travel providers.

• Aegean Airlines: Warned of an impact on first-quarter financial results amid cancelled flights in the Middle East and the rise in fuel costs.
• AirAsia X: Has cut 10% of flights and added a 20% fuel surcharge on most routes.
• Air France-KLM: Plans to increase ticket prices for long-haul routes to combat rising fuel costs, with cabin fares set to rise by 50 euros per round trip. Dutch arm KLM said it would cancel more than 150 European flights in April and May as a result of the rising prices.
• Air India: Is revising fuel surcharges, which it said no longer covered the oil price rise.
• Airline Operators of Nigeria: The Nigerian government has intervened to stop airlines pulling all flights amid the escalating price rises, which they said had made travel unsustainable. The suspension of services will be discussed at a meeting tomorrow (April 22).
• Air New Zealand: Is cutting flights and raising prices in May and June, and has suspended its full-year earnings forecast.
• Akasa Air: Has introduced a fuel surcharge ranging between 199 and 1,300 Indian rupees ($2 to $14) on domestic and international flights.
• Alaska Air: Is set to raise fees for baggage check-ins by $5 for the first bag and by $10 for the second on North American flights, as well as for its Hawaiian Airlines unit, with a third checked bag now costing $200, up from $50.
• American Airlines: Is also raising checked baggage fees, by $10 each for the first and second bags, and by $150 for the third on domestic and short-haul international flights, and removed some ⁠benefits for economy passengers.
• Asiana Airlines: Is cutting 22 flights between April and ​July.
• Cathay Pacific: Will cut some flights from mid-May until the end of June, with budget arm HK Express cutting around 6% of flights, with a fuel surcharge increase of 34% in place from April 1, which is being reviewed every two weeks.
• Cebu Air: Philippines-based Cebu is reviewing pricing.
• China Eastern Airlines: Raised ⁠fuel surcharges for domestic flights from April 5.
• Delta Air Lines: Is cutting capacity by around 3.5% and raising fees for checked ​bags, by $10 on first and second checked bags and $50 on the third, as well as warning of a profit level below Wall Street expectations amid the crisis.
• Easyjet: Has warned investors of a larger half-year pre-tax loss - between £540m and £560m ($731m and $758m) - including £25m in extra fuel costs in March, and warned passengers ticket prices will rise from towards the end of the summer.
• Frontier Airlines: Is reviewing its full-year forecast.
• Greater Bay Airlines: Raised fuel surcharges on most routes from April 1, but freezing charges in mainland China and Japan.
• Hong Kong Airlines: Raised fuel surcharges from March 12.
• British Airways: Owner IAG said it did not plan to increase ticket prices immediately.
• Indigo: Introduced fuel charges from March 14 and is lobbying the Indian government to cut fuel taxes.
• Jetblue Airways: Has increased fees for optional services such as checked baggage.
• Korean Air: Entered 'emergency management mode' this month, and has reportedly stepped up company-wide cost efficiency drives.
• Lufthansa: Is grounding 27 planes with CityLine earlier than planned, and will withdraw four Airbus A340-600 long-haul aircraft at the end of the summer and reduce short and medium-haul offerings in the coming winter.
• Norse Atlantic: Has cancelled its flight route between London Gatwick and Los Angeles.
• Pakistan International Airlines: Said it would raise domestic flight fares by $20 and international fares by up to $100.
• Qantas Airways: Has delayed a planned A$150m ($106m) buyback and was raising its estimated fuel bill for the second half of 2026 by around half a billions dollars.
• SAS: Has warned 1,000 flights would be cancelled in April following several hundred in March.
• Spring Airlines: Raised fuel surcharges on domestic flights from April 5.
• Southwest Airlines: Hiked checked baggage fees by $10 for the first and second bags.
• TAP: Said price hikes would partially mitigate the impact of fuel ‌price changes.
• Thai Airways: Said it would raise fares by 10% to 15%.
• SunExpress: Said it would impose a temporary fuel surcharge of 10 euros per passenger from May 1 on ​routes between Turkey and Europe, applying to bookings made on or after April 1 for departures on or after May 1.
• T’Way Air: Plans to furlough some cabin crew without pay in May and June.
• United Airlines: Is cutting unprofitable flights over the next two quarters and is increasing first and second checked bag fees by $10 for customers travelling in the US, Mexico and Canada and Latin America.
• VietJet: Has adjusted flight frequency on selected routes.
• Vietnam Airlines: Cancelled around 23 flights a week across domestic routes from April.
• Virgin Atlantic: Is adding fuel surcharges to fares.
• Virgin Australia: Expects between $30 million and $40m in increased fuel costs for the ​second half of this fiscal year and was adapting prices.
• Westjet: Will add a C$60 ($43) fuel surcharge to some bookings and combine flights.