KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, will cancel 160 flights over the coming month due to the fuel crisis sparked by the war in Iran
18:16, 16 Apr 2026Updated 01:22, 17 Apr 2026
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the flag carrier of the Netherlands (file)(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A major European airline is set to cancel more than 100 flights – including services to and from London – due to the fuel crisis sparked by the war in Iran.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, will cancel 160 flights over the coming month, split evenly between departures and arrivals at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The airline said it is not facing jet fuel shortages, but has taken the decision as a cost-containment measure due to rising fuel prices.
“Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight. As these are destinations KLM serves multiple times a day, such as London and Düsseldorf, travellers can usually be accommodated quickly,” the airline said.
“KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.” The cancellations account for about one per cent of KLM’s European schedule.
The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has added to concerns about the price and availability of jet fuel (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
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It comes as airlines across Europe cancel routes and adjust prices to manage higher operating costs. The chief of the International Energy Agency said that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so” of remaining jet fuel supplies, warning of further flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain blocked.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a sobering picture of the global repercussions of what he called “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced”, stemming from the pinch-off of oil, gas and other vital supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
“In the past there was a group called ‘Dire Straits’. It’s a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy. And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world,” he told AP on Thursday.
Earlier this month, UK airline Skybus, which operated daily flights between London Gatwick and Newquay, cancelled all future services due to rising fuel costs and a drop in passenger numbers.
Skybus operated its last flight on April 2(Image: Greg Martin/Cornwall Live)
Skybus had operated the flights since November 2025 under a Public Service Obligation funded by Cornwall Council and the Department for Transport, which had been scheduled to run until May 31. The airline’s last services took place on April 2.
Skybus Managing Director Jonathan Hinkles said at the time: “The huge rise in the global cost of fuel following the conflict in the Gulf, coupled with a significant drop in new passenger bookings since mid-February’s announcement of the planned closure of the PSO air route, forms an insurmountable barrier to the service continuing through April and May.
“At a time of great economic uncertainty and steps being taken to conserve energy worldwide, it is neither environmentally nor economically sound for us to continue flying with vastly reduced passenger numbers.”