Air Transat’s parent company cutting flights due to high cost of jet fuel

Air Transat has joined the list of airlines adjusting services in part due to sky-high fuel prices.

Transat A.T. Inc., which owns Air Transat, says it’s reducing the frequency of flights on some routes to Europe and the Caribbean.

It’s also extending its suspension of service to Cuba until October as the country continues to face a fuel embargo from the U.S. Most of the capacity reductions are due to the airline’s prolonged suspension of service to Cuba, it told CBC News in an email.

The changes represent a six per cent reduction in capacity overall between May and October, during the busy summer travel season.

“The recent volatility in aviation fuel prices reflects an exceptional environment affecting the entire sector. We are closely monitoring the situation, as cost pressures continue to be felt across the industry,” said CEO Annick Guerard in a statement, adding that demand remains strong.

Customers whose travel plans are impacted will be contacted directly with alternative plans or options, the airline said.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran at the end of February, the critical Strait of Hormuz fuel route has remained largely shuttered. That’s sent the cost of jet fuel way up — according to the International Air Transport Association, it’s about double what it was a year ago.

The decision comes after moves by Air Canada and WestJet to trim capacity as carriers across the globe drop less lucrative routes and ground older, less energy-efficient planes in the face of high fuel costs.

WATCH | The impact on travel plans:

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On Monday, WestJet said it was cutting capacity by about one per cent in April, three per cent in May and nearly six per cent in June, though it hadn’t eliminated any routes. Air Canada announced last week it would suspend six routes that it says are no longer profitable.

Porter, on the other hand, told CBC News in an email it was not planning to axe any capacity over the summer, though it said it would continue to monitor the volatile fuel situation.

Many Canadian airlines including Air Transat have also added fuel surcharges to compensate for the rising fuel costs.

In Europe, Lufthansa yesterday cancelled 20,000 short haul flights through October, reducing its summer capacity by one per cent. The airline said this would save some 40,000 tonnes of jet fuel, and added it has secured its supply of fuel for at least the “coming weeks.”

KLM-France, Delta Air Lines and other major carriers have also slashed their schedules or raised ticket prices, passing on part of the extra expense to passengers.

Experts have warned that fuel shortages in Europe could cause big disruptions through the summer travel season.

WATCH | Air Canada temporarily suspends flights amid ongoing fuel crisis:

Air Canada temporarily suspends flights amid ongoing fuel crisis | Hanomansing Tonight

Air Canada is suspending six routes amid skyrocketing jet fuel costs due to the war in Iran. In an announcement Friday, the airline said it is ‘no longer economically feasible.’

Last week, the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe only had about six weeks worth of jet fuel remaining, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if the war continued to shut down the fuel supply, which he said was the “largest energy crisis we have ever faced.”

Air Transat says it’s working closely with partners to ensure they have a reliable fuel supply across their network.

Still, travel agent McKenzie McMillan says demand for flights to Europe remains high. And with plenty of people wanting to board planes and fewer flights running, he says air fares, which have already been rising, will likely climb further.

“As they consolidate those flights, it’s going to mean that while demand stays the same, the inventory is dropping. And those prices are going to go up much faster,” McMillan said.

“It’s going to be an expensive summer to travel.”