Holidaymakers heading to Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Turkey this summer have been warned of possible flight disruption as airlines cut thousands of services amid growing fears over jet fuel shortages. Millions of Britons travel to Europe during the peak summer season, alongside Turkey, which is one of the most popular destinations for UK tourists.<\/p>\n
But experts are now warning that passengers could face higher fares, reduced schedules<\/a> and possible disruption after airlines began cutting thousands of flights worldwide due to soaring aviation fuel costs linked to the escalating crisis in the Middle East. Several airlines, including Germany\u2019s Lufthansa<\/a>, have already slashed schedules in a bid to save fuel, with at least 13,000 flights cancelled globally this month alone – representing around two million fewer seats.<\/p>\n According to aviation analytics firm Cirium<\/a>, the number of airline seats available worldwide in May dropped from 132 million to 130 million between April 10 and April 21. The firm warned that if the conflict involving Iran<\/a> continues and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz worsens, deeper cuts could follow in June.<\/p>\n Cirium said: \u201cThe longer the crisis goes on, the more cuts should be expected.\u201d<\/p>\n The Strait of Hormuz<\/a> is one of the world\u2019s most important shipping routes for oil and fuel supplies, and its closure has reportedly cut off around 30 per cent of Europe\u2019s aviation fuel shipments.<\/p>\n The rush to secure alternative fuel supplies from regions including the United States and West Africa has also reportedly caused prices to double.<\/p>\n