A major airline has cancelled flights out of London, putting UK tourists' holidays at risk. Norse Atlantic Airways has scrapped its flight route between London Gatwick and Los Angeles due to the sharp increase in jet fuel costs.
Route Cancellation Details
Norse Atlantic operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, connecting passengers on direct flights to destinations including New York, Bangkok, Cape Town, Rome, and London. However, the airline has now removed its London to Los Angeles service from its schedule.
A spokesperson for the airline told Birmingham Live: “This cancellation is due to the unforeseen global fuel crisis, and we unfortunately – with [a] heavy heart – had to cancel our beloved LAX routes with too high fuel risk exposure.”
Impact on Passengers
The spokesperson added: “This will protect [a] sustainable future and our ability to remain a reliable service for our passengers this summer. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience, and apologise to passengers who have [had] their travel plans changed. We will assist disrupted passengers as best we can.”
Broader Industry Concerns
The cancellation comes as airlines lobby the UK government to relax environmental and noise regulations, modify passenger rights, and cut taxes on flying. Carriers are preparing for higher costs and a potential shortage of jet fuel.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has previously warned that Europe has only six weeks' supply of jet fuel left before shortages hit. Fatih Birol, the IEA's executive director, stated that flight cancellations would occur soon if oil supplies from the Middle East are not restored within weeks.
UK Government and Industry Response
According to the trade body Airlines UK, carriers in Britain “are currently not seeing disruption to jet fuel supply,” partly due to the country's diverse supply sources. Nevertheless, they are lobbying the Labour government for contingency measures, including relaxing “use it or lose it” airport slot rules.
Transport analysts have expressed skepticism about airlines' transparency. Andrew Lobbenberg of Barclays noted that carriers are not “communicating transparently” regarding the situation.
