TUI flights from UK airports diverted due to jet fuel shortages - and fears grow despite resumption
Ever since the war between Iran and the United States began at the end of February, the price of fuel has been growing exponentially.
Airports and travel companies have been some of the hardest hit businesses by the conflict, which initially saw Israel and the US team up to launch strikes on the Middle Eastern country over fears of its alleged access to nuclear weapons.
In response, Iranian leaders opted to block the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman which sees a huge percentage of the world's oil pass through every single day.
Naturally, this immediately saw the price of oil shoot up, something which Donald Trump didn't seem too bothered about at first, but it quickly became a priority as leaders across the world called for it to be re-opened.
Advert
As jet fuel prices soar, some airlines have been forced to postpone or cancel flights ahead of the summer, while a few have gone under completely.
Yesterday (31 May), flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow airports in Scotland were forcibly delayed and diverted due to issues with their fuel supply.
In this circumstance however, it was seemingly a fuel issue with lorry drivers rather than the planes themselves, and flights were back under way today (1 June).
A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said: “A short‑term staffing issue has affected one of the fuel suppliers used by airlines at the airport, with work underway to return stock levels to normal.
“There have been no related flight cancellations, and the airport remains fully operational.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that while there were some delays, there was no widespread disruption, with things seemingly back to normal after the fuel stocks returned to usual levels.
A spokesman for Edinburgh airport said: “A fuel supplier is currently working to resolve an issue affecting several airlines. The airport is assisting where possible, and passengers are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest information on their flight.”
Some of the flights were forced to stop off at different airports across Europe to load up on fuel before continuing their journey, but an overnight fuel delivery saw things get back on track as we edge closer to the summer holidays.
Meanwhile, Ryanair admitted recently that it was preparing for a 'jet fuel armageddon' and suggested that more airlines could go bust before the war between the US and Iran comes to a conclusion.
“Do we have plans for some kind of Armageddon situation? Of course, we do, but I don’t see that coming to pass. As things stand, we’re operating a full schedule this summer, and plan to operate a full schedule into the winter period,” Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan told CNBC in an interview.
Despite this issue in Scotland being a brief and relatively minor one, concerns are growing across Europe in particular, with the continent importing nearly 60 per cent of its total jet fuel from the Middle East.
With the price doubling in the last few months alone, this surely won't be the last travel issues we hear about over the summer.
James Moorhouse