In a statement released yesterday, KLM explained that flights would be cut or changed this month due to rising kerosene prices.
While they noted that there is no kerosene shortage as yet, rising costs mean some flights “cannot currently be operated profitably”.
The airline expects to cut up to 80 return flights (or 160 individual flights) this May. Some routes being cut are flown multiple times a day, such as those to London or Düsseldorf.
The cancellations are scheduled to begin during the last week of April, which coincides with the Dutch school holiday period.
What’s changing?
While the statement did not specify which routes are being cut (other than mentioning London and Düsseldorf), it stated that all affected routes are within Europe.
KLM also explained that any affected passengers would be “rebooked onto the next available flight.”
Despite the upcoming rush of holiday travel, the airline is assuring customers that their vacation destinations will be reachable.
READ MORE | KLM has cancelled all flights to and from these destinations until May 17
After all, as the airline clarified, the flights concerned amount to less than 1% of the operational flights in the coming month.
Concerned or affected customers can also get assistance via KLM’s customer assistance webpage.
Jet fuel shortages could result in more cuts
The conflict in the Middle East has caused untold difficulty for the transport sector, and KLM isn’t the only airline affected by rising fuel prices.
As Politico reports, Lufthansa is having to accelerate a planned cut of 27 planes due to fuel costs.
While there is no shortage of fuel as of yet, International Energy Agency Chief Fatih Birol told the AP that Europe only has “six weeks of jet fuel left.”
With that in mind, it seems like this KLM cut may just be the beginning.
Has your flight been affected by the cuts? Let us know in the comments!
