European airlines reduce ticket sales due to fuel shortages

Published at: 04/05/2026 12:38 PM

The global supply of flights has been drastically cut due to a critical shortage of aviation fuel that threatens operations in May. Data from Cirium reveals that the seating capacity of the 100 largest airlines fell from 132 to 130 million in just two weeks.

This reduction responds directly to energy instability, with projections that place strategic reserves at minimum levels of security.

The crisis has been intensified by the paralysis of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which 20% of the world's jet fuel circulates. The International Energy Agency has warned that, without a reopening of this route, the European market will face an inevitable physical shortage.

Faced with this scenario, large operators such as Lufthansa and KLM have begun to adjust their itineraries and suspend routes to optimize their fuel inventories.

The financial impact is already reflected in the increase in rates and the imposition of fuel surcharges to mitigate operating costs. In addition, the market has lost another 1.8 million seats after Spirit Airlines ceased operations at the beginning of the month, aggravating the lack of available seats. Airlines without solid financial coverage against rising oil prices are in a position of extreme economic vulnerability.

While supply alternatives are being sought in markets such as the United States and Nigeria, logistical uncertainty keeps the sector in a defensive phase. The lack of an immediate solution in the Middle East suggests that restrictions on ticket sales could be extended for the rest of the semester.

For now, companies are prioritizing maintaining essential minimum connectivity, sacrificing route expansion in the face of a lack of strategic resources.

Mazo News Team