Airlines cut routes in response to rising jet fuel costs amid Iran war

MoneyWatch Airlines cut routes in response to rising jet fuel costs amid Iran war .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Megan Cerullo Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting. Read Full Bio Megan Cerullo Updated on: April 17, 2026 / 5:36 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Airlines are cutting routes this summer as they face rising jet fuel costs amid the Iran war. Air Canada, Delta, and other airlines said Friday that certain routes will be impacted. "The spike in oil prices is big news in general and the impact on jet fuel prices is pronounced," Stephen Rooney, lead economist at Tourism Economics, told CBS News. "Jet fuel is a huge cost for airlines, especially on longer-haul flights."Airlines pre-sold tickets based on expectations that fuel costs would remain relatively stable. Rooney expects them to cancel some flights based on rising fuel costs. Jet fuel prices have doubled since the war began on Feb. 28, raising costs for airlines. Jet fuel typically accounts for roughly 25% to 30% of overall costs, according to industry analysts."They've sold tickets on the basis of certain fuel price expectations, but when that goes up, sometimes they'll cancel flights, or add surcharges," he said. "Tickets are sold under contract, and you can't backtrack, so they cancel some routes to avoid that." That could mean turbulence for summer air travel. Routes canceled as fuel costs riseDelta Air Lines on Friday said it is cutting four routes this summer. It's cutting certain flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Detroit and Boston through September as part of its "normal planning process," the airline said in a statement to CBS News. When asked abou...