KLM cancels 160 flights due to fuel shortage

55 points
1/21/1970
2 days ago
by slow_typist

Comments


exidy

News outlets around the world continue to misreport this particular phenomena. Demand for air travel is highly elastic. As airlines raise prices to cover the increased cost of fuel, they are cutting capacity to ensure their load factors remain in the profitable range.

This post links to the incorrect article. From the correct one [0]:

> The Dutch airline said: "This concerns a limited number of flights within Europe that, due to rising kerosene costs, are currently no longer financially viable to operate. There is no kerosene shortage."

[0] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/16/europe-supp...

a day ago

[deleted]
2 days ago

davedx

This really should be bigger news.

2 days ago

guidedlight

160 flights isn’t really that many, I suspect they are all on commercially marginal routes to begin with.

In my region, quite a few airlines have cut routes citing the fuel crisis. Including Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand. But again, we aren’t seeing widespread cancellations yet.

2 days ago

pseudohadamard

And they're letting go of employees citing AI. And increasing management perks citing something-or-other, perhaps cosmic rays. The sun rises, the sun sets, the Sun crashes, it is the way of things.

20 hours ago

[deleted]
2 days ago

OgsyedIE

Given that we have the facts about what it is doing to them, can we agree that if Europe doesn't like the existing trajectory of the geopolitical system their only options are to either change it by themselves or compel one or more allies to change it?

2 days ago

yostrovs

There's also the third option that's usually taken: condemnation of the trajectory.

2 days ago

bayarearefugee

But if they do that then Donald Trump will call them a weak loser... got any other options for them?

2 days ago

booi

maybe UN resolution?

2 days ago

whobre

It is due to the high cost, not shortage.

2 days ago

cjbenedikt

Remember the days when airlines used to hedge their exposure to fuel prices...???

2 days ago

michael1999

You can't really hedge a true shortage. You'll get some money, but you can't pump money into a fuel tank.

2 days ago

davedx

Euro airlines hedge quite a bit actually - Ryanair is one of the most hedged airlines around. US airlines do it a lot less these days; Delta has their own refinery instead.

Hedging won't make more jet fuel appear though

2 days ago

dnemmers

It looks like quite a few international airlines (most?) hedge their exposure, and some have even been increasing lately:

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/how-airlines-have-he...

2 days ago

wg0

[flagged]

2 days ago

expedition32

Another 3 years to go I think?

God it already feels like a century.

2 days ago

nslsm

Because the next one won’t bend the knee to Israel.

2 days ago