Aer Lingus said on Sunday it has started operating its planned summer schedule, but tens of thousands of holiday-makers are still facing disruption after the airline said it will cancel or reschedule about 2 per cent of its flights. The changes affect hundreds of flights across the summer timetable.
The airline said a number of recent cancellations were required because of mandatory maintenance on aircraft and a limited number of schedule adjustments. It said the vast majority of affected customers will be re-accommodated on same-day services. Aer Lingus declined to say exactly how many flights or which routes would be affected.
The cancellations come as European airlines confront pressure from a shortage of jet fuel linked to the war in the Middle East and the continued blockade of Hormuz. The International Energy Agency has estimated that Europe has around six weeks of jet fuel left, while Willie Walsh warned on Friday that travellers could see some cancellations for lack of jet fuel by the end of May. Ryanair said this week that its suppliers could guarantee enough fuel until sometime next month, but warned supplies could tighten after that if shipping does not resume in Hormuz.
The overlap between an operational maintenance issue at Aer Lingus and a wider fuel squeeze makes the summer schedule more fragile than it would otherwise be. Asian airlines were already cancelling flights, and Walsh called the IEA’s assessment of potential jet fuel shortages “sobering.” He also said the industry needs “slot relief” if disruption deepens. For Aer Lingus passengers, the immediate answer is that most will be rebooked, but hundreds of flights are still being trimmed and the airline has not said where the cuts will land.