Several Asian and Pacific airlines are cancelling flights and even entire routes as a result of the increase in jet fuel prices and the shortages created by the crisis. The cuts come at a time when millions are preparing to leave during the Golden Week holiday.
Since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, jet fuel prices have gone through the roof. With about 20% of the global oil supply being transported through the Strait of Hormuz during normal times, the conflict and the closure of that passageway prove to have a deciding effect on the aviation industry. In the week ending on 10 April 2026, jet fuel reached a price of US$198, or about double when compared to before the war, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Cathay Pacific:
— Aaron Busch (@tripperhead) April 11, 2026
• due to jet fuel prices, axing ~2% of CX flights between 16 May-30 June
• mostly regional flights and small number of Australia, South Asia and South Africa flights
• Dubai/Riyadh flights cancelled until 30 June
• UO to cut ~6% of flights from 11 May-30 June pic.twitter.com/PVQue7x04g
The stark spike in jet fuel prices has been impacting aviation fares. For example, fares for long-haul flights with AirAsia have surged by 40%, while fuel surcharges have increased by 20% in what seems to be a global trend.
However, the crisis also has an impact on the flight offer. Over the month of April 2026, airlines across the Asia-Pacific have been forced to cancel numerous flights due to the price increase on the one hand and the shortages in jet fuel on the other hand. On 16 April 2026, countries across Asia saw a wave of cancellations and delays – Travel and Tour World cites 129 cancellations overall and 1,901 delays in one day.
Just a few weeks from the Golden Week, a five-day Labor Day holiday celebrated in China in May, airlines including Air China, China Eastern, Spring Airlines, China Southern, and AirAsia have been making cuts in their flight schedules. Routes to popular destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, Vientiane, and Kuala Lumpur have been impacted by the decisions. According to CNN, while many Chinese carriers have not communicated publicly about the cancellations over the past few days, China Eastern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines did confirm the flight cuts, calling them policy adjustments.
According to China Daily and flight-tracking platform Hangban Guanjia, all flights on routes including Xi’an-Phuket, Chongqing-Phuket, and Yantai-Bangkok have been cancelled since the start of April and throughout May 2026. For Oceania routes, some 50% of the flights between Wuhan-Sydney and Guangzhou-Darwin have been scrapped.
Moreover, airlines across the region, such as Philippine Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Air New Zealand, and Pakistan International Airlines, have been altering their flight schedule. Passengers should thus be prepared to be confronted with cancelled flights and an overall decrease in capacity, the amount of which may vary from one airline to another. As far as Air New Zealand is concerned, for example, the alterations should impact 4% of its flights and 1% of its passengers.
At the moment of writing, it is unclear if and when the situation will return to normal for the aviation industry.
