DUBLIN- Aer Lingus (EI) has cancelled a number of flights from its summer schedule at Dublin Airport (DUB) due to mandatory maintenance on aircraft.
The carrier states that a limited number of adjustments affect around 2% of its overall schedule, with the vast majority of customers accommodated on same-day services.
The changes come after the Sunday Independent reported that more than 500 Aer Lingus flights face cuts.
This occurs against the backdrop of rising jet fuel prices and supply concerns triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Aer Lingus Cancels 500+ Flights
Aer Lingus (EI) confirmed the schedule changes stem from mandatory aircraft maintenance.
According to BBC, the airline stressed that the vast majority of customers receive accommodation on same-day services.
The Sunday Independent reported that more than 500 flights have been removed from the summer timetable, with changes applying to approximately 2% of the carrier’s overall schedule.
Affected routes include flights from Dublin (DUB) to European destinations such as Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Faro and Zurich on a range of dates.
Services to London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh have also been cancelled, with passengers rebooked onto other services. These cuts impact both short-haul European and some UK routes.
Industry Challenges from Rising Fuel Prices
Rising fuel prices have pushed many airlines to take emergency measures. Fuel typically accounts for 20-40% of operating costs.
On Thursday, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that Europe has maybe six weeks of jet fuel left.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for jet fuel out of the Gulf, has been effectively closed by Iran for more than 6 weeks in response to US and Israeli attacks. This has sent prices higher and raised fears of shortages.
The IEA said the crisis has thrown a proverbial wrench into the inner workings of the aviation fuel markets.
Travel journalist Simon Calder believes the cancellations reflect wider challenges. Airlines trimming some of their summer services is becoming widespread across Europe, because the doubling of the cost of fuel means some routes are no longer profitable, he said.
Irish Government and Pilot Perspectives
Ireland’s Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said the country has a solid aviation supply. Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week, he stated that supplies are robust with a 70-day reserve.
He added that Ireland receives its jet fuel from the United States and that airlines will make decisions separate to Government.
Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) President Mark Tighe said that whilst the situation in Iran was on everyone’s mind, Aer Lingus has similarly cancelled flights in previous years. He believes the cancellations are due to a shortage of pilots.
Pilots are frequently contacted on their days off and asked to work. This year the company was unable to grant all the annual leave pilots are contractually entitled to because of the shortages.
Tighe added that the airline is not suffering from a fuel cost problem because Aer Lingus hedges its aviation fuel unlike US operators with which the company competes.
The situation in Iran is critical to the industry and the association is watching carefully to see what happens going forward.
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