EasyJet boss warns of summer price hike after £25million hit from jet fuel costs

EasyJet boss warns of summer price hike after £25million hit from jet fuel costsEasyjet saw its fuel costs surge by £25million last month alone - with the risk it could spiral the longer the Middle East conflict drags onCommentsMoneyGraham Hiscott Business and Consumer Editor11:08, 16 Apr 2026Updated 11:08, 16 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesHigher jet fuel costs risk feeding through into summer air fares (Image: Getty)The boss of easyJet has warned of possible summer fare hikes as the budget airline took a £25million hit from soaring jet fuel costs.‌An energy shock caused by the Iran war risks driving up the cost of foreign getaways, in another blow to cost of living ravaged families. “If fuel remains high for longer then that will feed into the whole industry in terms of prices,” said Kenton Javis, easyJet’s chief executive.‌The threat came as easyJet was left nursing a big additional bill for fuel in March, despite having guaranteed the price of nearly 80% of its needs in advance.‌Airlines use “hedging” to guard against volatile costs such as jet fuel, but also buy a chunk of what they need in other ways. It is these unprotected prices where airlines are beginning to be hammered, with the risk increasing the longer the Middle East conflict goes on. EasyJet confirmed that it had only guaranteed the price of 70% of its peak summer jet fuel needs.View 2 ImagesAirlines face higher jet fuel costs the longer the Middle East war continues (Image: f9photos via Getty Images)READ MORE: Multiple major UK airports see flights cancelled after pilots go on strikeREAD MORE: Fears grow that UK families could be impacted by summer holiday cancellationsIt came as the Luton-based carrier warned its half-year loss was likely to balloon to between £540 million and £560 million, up sharply from a £394million loss a year ago. The increase was further worsened by a £30 million provision for legal costs, although it does not reveal anymore detail.‌The airline was also forced to cut prices in the pa...