The dumped air schedules are bad news for British travellers with flights axed to three fan-favourite destinations – the airline says ‘safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority’
A popular airline has dumped more flights from its summer flight plans, with three summer holiday favourites now off the cards for Brits, with the airline claiming earlier this month they would scale back some routes due to rising kerosene prices.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which connects to 19 UK airports, has decided to bin all flights to Dubai until June 22, having previously cancelled all flights up until June 14. The airline confirmed that the situation has not changed for its routes to Saudi Arabia, with flights to Saudi cities Riyadh and Dammam also cancelled until June 14.
The airline said: “KLM has decided to cancel flights to Dubai up to and including June 22. The situation regarding flights to Riyadh and Dammam remains unchanged; these flights have been cancelled up to and including June 14.”
In its last update on April 21, the airline said as circumstances in the Middle East “still bring uncertainties”, all flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam, would be nixed until June 14. At the time, the airline said: “To provide clarity and certainty to travellers scheduled to fly to Dubai in the coming weeks, the cancellations have been extended by one month.”
KLM said: “The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority. We understand that this decision has a significant impact on our travellers and are doing everything possible to keep them well informed. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled will be notified personally.
“They can change their flight or request a refund on the KLM website. We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain in contact with the relevant authorities.”
KLM initially canned some of its Middle Eastern flight schedule on April 16, with the following directive to customers appearing on its website. KLM said: “This concerns a limited number of flights within Europe that, due to rising kerosene costs, are currently no longer financially viable to operate.
“There is no kerosene shortage. KLM will operate 80 fewer return flights to and from Schiphol, which is less than 1% of its European flights during that period.”
It added: “Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight. As these are destinations KLM serves multiple times a day — such as London and Düsseldorf — travellers can usually be accommodated quickly. KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.”
In mid-April 2026, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that Europe has about six weeks’ worth of jet fuel left, which could lead to shortages and flight cancellations by early June. The crisis is caused by conflicts in the Middle East that are blocking the Strait of Hormuz, preventing vital supplies from passing through. This situation creates serious risks for summer travel, and airlines are keeping a close eye on their fuel stocks.
Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Brent Crude prices have climbed five per cent to over $95 per barrel just days after they fell by about $12 to $85 on Friday on hopes of the resumption of energy cargoes through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Further downstream, the crisis is starting to have tangible effects, with several airlines cutting back on less profitable routes and the International Energy Agency warning that European jet fuel supplies could run out by early June. Interest rate expectations continue to bounce around, hanging on every twist and turn in the Gulf.”
