Ministers are set to warn the British public that flight cancellations will hit summer holiday plans as new research suggested that the UK is more exposed to jet fuel shortages than other European countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, is set to tell Brits that there could be flight cancellations<\/a> this year as she will talk up staycations, according to The Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her warnings will follow a prompt by Sir Keir Starmer that people would have to consider changing \u201cwhere they go on holiday\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trade experts have warned that the supply of kerosene<\/a> was set to be hit by disruptions across the Strait of Hormuz.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michael O\u2019Leary, the boss of Ryanair, Europe\u2019s biggest airline, said rivals were \u201cdesperately\u201d searching for flights to cancel.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some airlines have reportedly said that the UK could escape some of the worst effects of jet fuel shortages due to obtaining supplies from other countries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n UK is \u2018particularly vulnerable\u2019 to jet fuel shortages<\/strong><\/p>\n But research by Allianz Trade found the UK had Europe\u2019s \u201cmost structurally exposed markets<\/a> to jet-fuel shortages\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n It said its heavy reliance on imports, albeit from countries outside of the Middle East, would leave the UK \u201cparticularly vulnerable\u201d to supply shocks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK,\u00a0 Germany, France, and Italy show the largest shortfalls, underscoring their reliance on external supply to meet aviation demand,\u201d trade experts said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEuropean\u00a0 aviation activity is indirectly exposed not only to global oil price dynamics but also to geopolitical and logistical risks along\u00a0 key supply routes, reinforcing the region\u2019s dependence on external refining hubs for a fuel that is essential to long-haul\u00a0 connectivity.\u201d<\/p>\n The worst effects of flight disruption<\/a> could come in late June and July, near the peak of summer travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ministers may be looking to discourage Britons from taking long-haul flights in contingency plans being drawn up, according to reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lufthansa Group has announced it will cancel 20,000 flights over the next six months, while Virgin Atlantic added a fuel surcharge and British Airways has warned of \u201cpricing adjustments\u201d to tickets.<\/p>\n Airlines UK, the trade body, said: \u201cUK airlines continue to operate normally and are not experiencing issues with jet fuel supply.\u201d<\/p>\n