How Jet Fuel Shortages Could Affect Summer Travel to Europe and Beyond

This summer is shaping up to be an expensive and uncertain time to fly, especially if you’re planning a European vacation.

Volatile fuel prices because of the war in Iran are straining airlines around the globe, but perhaps nowhere as much as in Europe, where jet fuel supplies could run low by mid-May. European airlines like Lufthansa and KLM have announced they are cutting flights, and others could follow.

Carriers everywhere are increasingly passing costs on to passengers wherever they can by raising airfares, charging more for bags and tacking on additional charges for fuel. Some are canceling flights.

For travelers, the prospect of a reasonably priced summer vacation is growing dimmer by the day.

“There is a level of uncertainty here that we have not seen since Covid when it comes to travel,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going.com, a membership service for finding cheap flights, adding, “This will be a challenging year for the average traveler hoping to take an affordable summer vacation.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/travel/flight-cancellations-europe-summer-vacation.html