To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies.
An extension on your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site.
First modification: 05/02/2026 - 15:49 Last modification: 05/05/2026 - 15:42
The unusual rise in the price of air tickets, which arose from the impact of the war in the Middle East on fuel supplies, has altered the plans of millions of travelers getting ready for the summer season in Europe.
The European Union urged tourists to press ahead with their plans for the upcoming summer holidays, assuring there was no shortage of jet fuel and that they would be protected in case of any disruption.
"To date, we have no indication of a shortage of jet fuel," Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, said recently.
"While we must prepare for the worst possible scenario, we must also avoid sending excessively negative and alarming messages that generate confusion or even panic among travelers2, he said.
However, it is a promise that is hard for travelers to believe. Given the historic increase in ticket prices, many are choosing to stay at home, even if it is not what they really want.
Europeans could also opt for closer domestic destinations rather than traveling to more distant parts of Asia and the Middle East, Patrice Caradec, president of France's union of tour operators, told Reuters.
In this country, a recent survey by the firm Ifop, carried out in mid-March for the French Tourism Alliance, revealed that 21% of tourists plan to vacation within the same country this summer, 51% will stay at home and only 9% plan to travel outside the continent.
Furthermore, 75% do not want to go through the Middle East and a quarter of the more than 6,000 respondents acknowledged that they had to change their plans.
"Priceless" tickets, a consequence of the war
On Monday, April 27, Spain's Minister of Industry and Tourism advised consumers to buy their holiday plane tickets as soon as possible to avoid the risk of further price increases.
Airlines are facing their biggest challenge since the Covid-19 pandemic, as the US-Israeli war with Iran led to the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major waterway through which a fifth of the world's daily oil consumption passes.
With fewer barrels in circulation and stable demand, prices have hit multi-year highs of around $120 a barrel in Europe's offshore Brent benchmark. Jet fuel has almost doubled since the conflict broke out just over two months ago.
Read alsoThis is how the oil rebound threatens with a global rise in prices in the face of the war in Iran
Fuel represents up to a quarter of airlines' total costs, so the natural reaction to a situation like the current one is an increase in ticket prices.
Airlines have largely weathered the crisis through hedging that has controlled costs, but they could face shortages if the war does not end soon.
Delays and cancellations alter vacation plans
Middle East airlines have sought to increase capacity in recent weeks following severe disruptions experienced in recent weeks, while airlines outside the Gulf continue to divert flights between Europe and Asia, thus avoiding the region's main hubs.
Companies such as Airfrance, KLM, Finnair and Eurowings suspended their flights to Dubai, some even until after the summer, and other destinations such as Tel Aviv, Beirut, Riyadh, Doha or Abu Dhabi have also been temporarily restricted or cancelled.
The Community Executive told travelers that they can plan their summer trips “with the peace of mind of knowing that they will be protected in the event of any interruption.”
However, he warned that "if our citizens or potential tourists from third countries do not feel safe enough to book their trips and vacations, the crisis will hit us sooner than we think and we must avoid entering that spiral."
With Reuters and AP
Related keywords
The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.
