00:00Half-term travel plans are facing a major blow as global airlines announced the cancellation of 13,000 flights scheduled
00:06for May.
00:07According to the aviation firm Sirium, carriers have slashed nearly 2 million seats in just the past four years.
00:15Disruption is expected to hit families in the UK and mainland Europe particularly hard during the school days at the
00:21end of the month.
00:22The crisis is driven by a severe jet fuel shortage linked to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
00:27Since fighting began in February, fuel costs have more than doubled following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which
00:34has choked off a fifth of the world's oil supply.
00:37Major carriers, including British Airways, KLM and Turkish Airlines, are all affected.
00:42Germany's Lufthansa is among the hardest hit, cutting 20,000 shorthall routes from its summer schedule and switching to smaller
00:50aircraft to conserve fuel.
00:52In the UK, Transport Secretary Haider-Alexander has announced a temporary suspension of airport slot rule.
00:59This allows operators like British Airways to cut flights without the risk of losing their positions to rivals.
01:05Passengers are being warned that those not facing outright cancellations may still be rebooked onto different days, potentially cutting their
01:12holidays short.
01:15Passengers are being warned that those not every person allowed
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