Eid Al Adha: UAE travellers see summer airfares soar alongside jet fuel prices
Dubai: UAE residents planning overseas trips for the Eid Al Adha break later this month are entering one of the most expensive summer travel markets in years, as soaring jet fuel prices trigger higher airfares, tighter seat availability and growing schedule pressure across airlines worldwide.
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The disruption comes just as outbound travel demand accelerates ahead of the holiday period during the last week of May and the wider summer vacation season. Airlines worldwide are grappling with a sharp increase in jet fuel prices linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran and instability around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy shipments and aviation fuel supplies.
Jet fuel prices have surged from roughly $85-$90 per barrel to as high as $150-$200, several regulatory platforms indicate. The increase has jolted an industry where fuel already ranks among the largest operating expenses.
Airlines begin cutting flights
The effects are now spreading rapidly through airline networks. Germany's Lufthansa is removing 20,000 short-haul flights through October. Netherlands' KLM canceled 160 European flights in one month, while Sweden'S SAS scrapped 1,000 flights in April because of elevated oil and jet fuel prices.
Thai AirAsia said it would reduce seat capacity by 30% between May and June. Several airlines, including Air Canada and US carrier JetBlue, have suspended earnings guidance because of fuel market volatility.
For UAE travellers, the immediate impact is being felt through rising fares on major outbound routes, particularly to Europe, India and North America, where demand remains strong heading into summer.
Europe routes under pressure
The pressure is especially intense on Europe-bound travel. European aviation markets remain heavily exposed to the fuel crisis because the region depends significantly on imported jet fuel linked to Gulf shipping routes.
International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned last month Europe may have: “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left” if supply disruptions continue, highlighting growing concern over aviation fuel availability ahead of the peak summer travel season.
That risk is forcing airlines worldwide to prioritise their most profitable and strategically important routes ahead of summer.
Flights to major hubs such as London, Paris and Frankfurt are expected to remain comparatively resilient, though at significantly higher fares. Smaller European cities and lower-frequency leisure routes may face tighter seat availability and reduced schedule flexibility as airlines consolidate operations.
Higher fares and added charges
Bloomberg reported a number of global carriers are currently increasingly concentrating aircraft deployment on:
high-demand corridors,
major international hubs,
and premium long-haul routes.
At the same time, some airlines are rerouting aircraft through longer alternative air corridors to avoid conflict-sensitive areas. That raises operating costs by increasing fuel burn, flight duration and crew utilisation.
Those pressures are now feeding directly into passenger pricing. CEO of another major US carrier United Airlines, Scott Kirby, flagged how fares may need to rise: “by as much as 15% to 20%” to offset fuel costs.
Airlines are also increasingly relying on ancillary charges to protect profitability. Reuters recently reported American Airlines raised baggage fees by up to $150 for third checked bags, while Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines also increased luggage charges in the US.
For UAE travellers, that means holiday budgets may come under pressure beyond headline airfare prices alone.
What UAE travellers should expect
The operational environment is also becoming less predictable. Airlines globally are adjusting schedules more aggressively to manage fuel exposure, increasing the likelihood of:
flight consolidations,
timing changes,
longer layovers,
and reduced availability on preferred departure dates.
Travellers booking later in May could face particularly limited options on peak Eid and summer routes. Industry analysts have been flagging how they do not expect rapid relief even if geopolitical tensions ease in the near term.
The aviation market is now dealing not only with higher crude prices, but also refinery bottlenecks, constrained jet fuel supply and disrupted logistics networks. Bloomberg reported airlines are increasingly planning around potential fuel scarcity rather than treating the situation as temporary volatility.
That shift could keep fares elevated well into the summer season, particularly on long-haul, multi-city, multi-stop or -layover international routes popular with UAE residents. For travellers still planning Eid Al Adha getaways, earlier bookings, flexible itineraries and close monitoring of airline schedule updates may become increasingly important in the weeks ahead.
The broader challenge for passengers is that the global aviation industry is entering summer 2026 with fewer operational buffers than in previous years — just as demand for international travel remains exceptionally strong.
