Overview
- Cathay Pacific will cancel about 2% of passenger flights from May 16 to June 30, with HK Express cutting about 6% for May 11 to June 30, and most affected travelers offered a seat within 24 hours of their original booking.
- Cathay will keep passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh suspended through June 30 because of the security and fuel situation linked to the region.
- The airline says jet-fuel prices have jumped since early March, after fighting in the Middle East disrupted supply routes and raised costs across the industry.
- The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel that carries more than 20% of the world’s oil and gas, has seen far fewer transits since late February, which has tightened fuel supplies and pushed up prices.
- Industry groups and carriers including ACI Europe, Air New Zealand, SAS, United, and Ryanair warn of possible fuel shortages and wider cancellations in May and June, while experts say cuts could dull Hong Kong’s hub appeal if the disruption lasts.