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2h ago

United Cuts 5% of Flights as Fuel Surge Forces Temporary Pullbacks

Kirby flags up to $11 billion in annual fuel exposure, modeling scenarios with oil as high as $175 a barrel.

A United Airlines 767-300ER is seen at a gate with the Manhattan skyline in the background at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on March 18, 2026. US airport security officers missed their first full paycheck on March 13 as a partial funding shutdown of the government approached the one-month mark, with no breakthrough in a congressional standoff that is beginning to disrupt travel across the country. The lapse in funding is forcing thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff to work without pay as spring travel picks up, raising fears of staffing shortages, longer security lines and flight delays. (Photo by kena betancur / AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Jet fuel prices have more than doubled in three weeks during the Middle East conflict, sharply increasing United’s operating costs.
  • United will trim roughly 5% of planned flying by canceling most redeyes and low-demand Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday trips in Q2 and Q3, pulling capacity at Chicago O’Hare, and suspending Tel Aviv and Dubai routes.
  • The airline targets restoring its full schedule in the fall, framing the cuts as short-term moves to avoid cash burn on unprofitable flying.
  • Kirby warns the surge could add about $11 billion in yearly expenses if sustained, with planning assumptions that oil could hit $175 and remain above $100 through the end of 2027.
  • United says there will be no furloughs or deferred aircraft orders, and it still expects 120 new jets this year alongside infrastructure expansion at Newark.