The closure of the Strait of Hormuz for 10 weeks, amid a fragile ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, has made global air travel one of the industries hit hard by soaring oil prices.
Jet fuel prices, which are largely derived from crude oil, have risen by more than 80% since the US and Israel went to war with Iran in late February, forcing airlines to raise ticket prices, cut flights or do both.
The clearest example of an airline affected by the fallout is US-based Spirit Airlines, which announced on Saturday (May 2, 2026) that it would permanently cease operations.
The move was widely seen as a result of surging fuel costs.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, airlines in several markets, including the US, China, Japan, Australia and many European countries, have cut flights, equivalent to a reduction of 9.3 million seats between Monday (June 1, 2026) and Wednesday (September 30, 2026).
The largest announced cuts have been in the Middle East, where regional aviation remains heavily affected by airspace closures after Iran attacked several regional aviation hubs, including Dubai and Doha.
Qatar Airways alone has made major flight cuts, equivalent to two million seats on flights from June to October.
Emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Etihad Airways have reduced capacity by 700,000 and 450,000 seats, respectively.
For flights that remain in service, ticket prices have continued to rise, and in many cases, fares are far higher than before the war.
