Jet Fuel Crisis From Iran Conflict Triggers Flight Cuts; Airlines Urge Early Booking

O’Leary “strongly advises” anyone planning a trip during the summer 2026 months to book as soon as possible before airfares get heftier.

As the summer months approach, airline executives encourage travelers to book flights in advance amid jet fuel shortages stemming from heightened conflict in Iran, which has led to canceled flights, Fortune reports.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary warns that airlines may be forced to cancel flights ahead of the busy travel season if the U.S.-Israel war on Iran continues, limiting fuel and increasing costs. “So we will then look around, and we will be trying to ground one or two aircraft and minimize the inconvenience for customers,” O’Leary said.

“But it’s going to be difficult. It’s going to be challenging.”

O’Leary “strongly advises” anyone planning a trip in the summer of 2026 to book as soon as possible, before airfares get heftier and gas prices rise. Jet fuel prices have risen even higher than gas prices since the start of the Iran war, bottling up one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

The country’s leading airport hubs, such as Chicago’s O’Hare, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York, have seen the average price of a gallon of jet fuel reach $4.88, nearly double the pre-war price. As a result, airlines have been forced to hike luggage-checking fees, drawing criticism from travelers. However, that isn’t stopping flights from being booked.

The airline executive believes travelers will be OK with booking well in advance, despite concerns that flights could be canceled, and it’s a “gamble” some are willing to take. “Life is a gamble. I think we’re looking at maybe the risk of 5 or 10% of cancellations in June or July, but 95-90% of flights will still operate,” he said.

“So I think you’re really not taking much of a gamble. I would be much more concerned if you delay your booking, because you and your family will be paying much higher prices.”

United Airlines became the first major U.S. carrier to dial back its schedule in March 2026 after CEO Scott Kirby announced the airline would start “tactically pruning flying that’s temporarily unprofitable in the face of high oil prices” with a 5% flight cut. “The reality is, jet fuel prices have more than doubled in the last three weeks. If prices stayed at this level, it would mean an extra $11B in annual expense just for jet fuel, Kirby wrote in an employee memo, according to The Hill.

“For perspective, in United’s best year ever, we made less than $5B.”

But the Ireland-based airline Ryanair is doing what it can to help mitigate rising travel costs, boosting its cabin baggage allowance to two free bags without incurring extra fees.