Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and Wizz Air give Saturday update on summer flights amid fuel fears

Following warnings from a leading analyst over potential jet fuel shortages that could hit the UK during the summer, Europe's biggest budget airlines have stated they remain confident in their ability to keep flights running as normal throughout the peak holiday season. Ano Kuhanathan, head of corporate research at insurer Allianz, has warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz leaves Britain considerably more exposed than other European countries to supply disruptions. Roughly three quarters of Europe's jet fuel comes from the Middle East and passes through the vital shipping lane. He explained: "The UK is Europe's most structurally exposed market to jet fuel shortages, relying heavily on imports to meet aviation demand and running persistent refining kerosene deficit, leaving it particularly vulnerable to supply shocks." Despite these concerns, senior figures at Britain's top budget airlines have voiced confidence in their capacity to deliver a full flight schedule throughout the summer. A spokesperson for Jet2 said: " We remain in continual dialogue with our fuel suppliers, as is standard practice. Based on the conversations we have been having, we see no reason not to look forward to operating our scheduled programme of flights and holidays as normal." The announcement comes i n the wake of a separate warning from Heathrow airport on Wednesday, which stated it anticipates passenger numbers for the remainder of the year to be impacted by the ongoing situation in the Middle East. Laura Lindsay, spokesperson for the price-comparison site Skyscanner, suggested that travel demand is changing rather than vanishing. She told The Independent's daily travel podcast: "We know that people do still want to get away. It may be reduced internationally and increased domestically, for example." Jet2 has revealed that holidaymakers are increasingly making last-minute bookings since the outbreak of the Iran conflict amid growing concerns over the impact of the war and fears surrounding jet fuel supply. The company said summer passenger bookings to date are up 6.2% thanks to expansion across its airline and package holiday operations, but in a sign of rising unease among travellers, it disclosed that the "booking profile has become increasingly close to departure" due to the Middle East conflict. It stated it is well shielded from the fuel cost surge triggered by the Iran war for the crucial summer period, adding it is "maintaining frequent dialogue with our fuel suppliers and airport partners on fuel supply". Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive, said that "the risk of ‌a supply disruption is receding", with no disruption risk before the end of June. However, he pointed out that the UK faces greater vulnerability compared to other major nations. EasyJet has confirmed it intends to run "a full schedule across its network". Garry Wilson, chief executive of easyJet Holidays, said: "Our operations remain unaffected, so customers can be confident that not only will their holiday go ahead as planned, but there will be no surprise extra payments." Yvonne Moynihan, managing director of Wizz Air UK, said: "We have just launched our biggest-ever network from the UK and in particular from Luton. "Despite the challenging geopolitical crisis, business goes on as usual. In airlines, we are well used to crises, so we are resilient and we're well adapted. "For low-cost airlines like Wizz in the UK, we don't see any shortage of fuel." The airline boss explained that if a shortage were to emerge in the UK, Wizz Air could source fuel from alternative countries – a tactic known as "tankering". "We can take more fuel than is required in those destinations," she said. "We can even fly to other countries and and pit-stop, if you will, if we need additional fuel "But we're not seeing an Armageddon situation. We have fuel supply. We have other mechanisms for uplifting fuel." Wizz Air is Europe's third-largest budget airline, behind Ryanair and easyJet. Jet2, easyJet and TUI have all committed to not imposing any additional charges on passengers for fuel price increases.