Fuel Shortage Prompts Qantas to Adjust Flight Routes for Australian Travelers

According to data obtained from aviation research firm Cirium, over 55 trans-Tasman flights have been canceled for the month of May.

This cutback will affect routes between Brisbane and Auckland as well as Sydney and Auckland, which will no longer be serviced by the airline.

Qantas has attributed this decision to the increasing cost of jet fuel, which has posed challenges for maintaining their current flight schedule.

The airline said the move was in response to the rising cost of jet fuel.

The flow of oil globally has been slowed in March due to Iran blocking the critical Strait of Hormuz following joint US-Israeli attacks on the country.

About 20 per cent of all oil trade is shipped through the strait. 

The airline said customers who have already booked tickets have been reallocated different flights. 

Air New Zealand and United Airlines in the US have also cut back their flights.

Qantas budget carrier Jetstar will slash some flights to New Zealand amid rising fuel costs 

Qantas and Virgin Airlines have not announced any other cut backs to services. 

‘At this stage, it’s no surprise that airlines are taking a scalpel to trim back their schedules,’ Cirium Asia editor Ellis Taylor said.

‘They will be doing a flight-by-flight analysis to see which are the weaker flights that can be cut and consolidated so that passengers are still able to travel on the same day.

‘We are just at the start of what could be a larger cycle, so for now, we’re unlikely to see wholesale route cuts. But if fuel prices remain elevated, then some carriers will have to make larger revisions to their networks.’