Brussels Airlines sees no flight cancellations 'for now'

Brussels Airlines will not cancel flights “at the moment” despite potential jet fuel shortages linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a spokesperson told Euronews.

With mounting fears of summer flight cancellations, the Belgian airline said 80% of its jet fuel needs for 2026 are covered.

However, this volume was purchased through the company’s hedging strategy, which involves buying kerosene in advance even if the airline does not currently hold the full physical supply.

“It is important to note that it is a financial tool, which means the price has been set at pre-crisis levels. It’s not the actual physical purchase of the kerosene,” a Brussels Airlines spokesperson said.

Both hedging and jet fuel purchases are centrally managed by the Lufthansa Group, which owns several air carriers, including Brussels Airlines.

A Lufthansa Group spokesperson said the company does not expect disruptions to kerosene supply over the next six weeks, noting that this timeline is standard since fuel suppliers provide supply information six weeks ahead.

“Global demand for air travel remains high and has proven resilient even in times of crisis. Against this backdrop, the Lufthansa Group is once again expecting a strong summer travel season,” a Lufthansa Group spokesperson told Euronews.

Trying to mitigate the high costs of jet fuel, which have increased by around 150% since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Brussels Airlines announced in April that it will soon end the free hand-luggage allowance for passengers on short- and medium-haul flights**.**

The new basic fare will include only one personal item, such as a laptop bag or small rucksack**.** Passengers who wish to bring a standard carry-on bag weighing up to 8kg will be required to pay an extra fee.

While airlines have been complaining about possible flight cancellations amid fuel supply disruption, European Union officials maintain that no jet fuel shortages have been reported across the EU27, even after the International Energy Agency has warned last month that aviation fuel was enough for roughly another six weeks.

EU officials mulling new strategic reserves

Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas recently argued that flight cancellations registered so far “have nothing to do” with fuel shortages but rather with airlines’ own lack of profitability.

Nonetheless, the European Commission concedes that if the geopolitical disruption persists beyond the end of May, EU officials and industry representatives have discussed a potential coordinated release of emergency reserves.

“While EU emergency stocks can be released if needed, experts underlined the importance of coordinating such releases at the EU level and of matching them with adequate demand-side measures to achieve effective results,” reads a Commission statement dated 7 May.

No fuel could be a force majeure, Commission says

The difference between high jet fuel prices and fuel shortages, however, could be a concern for passengers, who fear their flights will be cancelled.

According to the EU executive, high fuel prices are not considered force majeure for airlines to cancel flights, whereas a lack of fuel could be.

“If we then get into a situation where airports or airlines are experiencing jet fuel shortages, it can be considered an extraordinary circumstance,” Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said on 8 May.

However, the Commission may lack sufficient data to prove that airlines are experiencing fuel shortages, as they are not obliged to disclose the amount of fuel they procure, even if they are participating in the EU’s overall coordination effort, Itkonen said.

Nonetheless, the EU executive said that “obviously there has to be proof” that airlines are dealing with fuel shortages if they use such an argument to cancel flights.

The Commission recognised the “lack of transparency” on the evolution of stocks from different actors but noted that the EU has a “full overview” of member states’ fuel availability — highlighting a key distinction between commercial stocks, owned by private entities, and strategic reserves, owned by EU countries.

Read the full article here