The European hotel industry faces a potential problem in how its guests are going to — if they can at all — arrive at their hotels this summer.
TUI, the huge vacation-package company, has warned its guests that the Middle East crisis, if it continues, could severely affect fuel supplies, and if there is not enough fuel, then there will not be airlines on which guests can board.
Airline Ryanair is adding to the noise, stating, as others have, that there might be only six weeks of airline fuel remaining in the continent.
One stark comment was that if the U.S.-Iran conflict ends before April does, then May and June flights will not be affected.
The end of April is in three days.
Added to that are new border-entry procedures, which either are a remnant of Brexit or a result of Europe-wide fear of immigration.
Some might state it is due to the requirement for enhanced security, but that is always the excuse.
Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, as the saying goes.
The pinch on fuel, though, if that is to be acute, will have more of an effect on Europe than it would on, say, North America.
Europe imports most of its airline fuel.
Airlines cannot increase air fares for tickets already purchased, but they can cancel the whole flight.
It will become a monetary exercise at the end of the day, and cancellations cost airlines money, of course.
Consumer advocate magazine Which? believes the situation is a little overblown, that is, panic is being created unnecessarily.
In an April 22 article, Which? said “airlines are choosing to cancel some flights to protect profits, not because they have run out of fuel.”
That might be soothing in the large picture, but if you happen to have booked a flight that is cancelled deemed too expensive, then potentially your holiday is ruined.
It added it did not think flights would be affected too much this summer, but the caveat emptor here is that this is the case “unless the situation significantly worsens,” which given the caliber of politician we currently have is not exactly a glowing testament.
Firms with more exposure will worry more.
TUI has huge exposure as its planes often funnel its guests to its hotels.
Belfast Live quoted TUI as saying, “We think there is a reasonable risk, some low level, maybe 10% to 25% of our supplies might be at risk through May and June, so like everyone else in this industry, we hope the war ends sooner rather than later.”
Vacation islands might be at more risk.
There is no other way of getting to them other than by plane, if you wish to get there relatively speedily.
The European Union is getting stuck into the problem.
Also on April 22, it released a plan — rather sillily named ‘AccelerateEU’ — in which it listed four bullet points of action:
- The establishment of an EU Fuel Observatory, mapping the supply and available stocks in the EU of jet fuel.
- Immediate coordination with member states, fuel suppliers, airlines and airports of alternative sources of jet fuel supply and proposals to optimize jet fuel supply distribution across member states to ensure availability across all regions and airports.
- Clarification of existing flexibilities under EU legislation as regards anti‑tankering and the use of other imported fuels to address the consequences of potential jet fuel shortages.
- Assessment of the need to review EU rules on strategic stocks to include specific jet fuel requirements.
The United Kingdom, dare I remind you, is now no longer in the EU.
And what is anti-tankering?
I needed to look it up.
"Anti-tankering is any model that prevents airplanes from carrying excess, heavy fuel from cheaper, non-EU locations to avoid paying for expensive sustainable aviation fuel in Europe, thereby lowering emissions.”
Let’s hope this is all a flash in the plan, certainly the bit where bombs are being dropped, so that we can get on holiday and check-in to one of your hotels.
The annual, or bi-annual, vacation is such a must-have nowadays, it will not take long if the escalation continues to see a summer of slump and sourness in business and in guests.
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