OSLO: Scandinavian airline SAS said Tuesday it has cancelled some hundred flights this week after the war in the Middle East sent fuel prices surging.
Most of the cancelled flights were domestic routes in Norway with “alternative connections”, with only a few affecting Sweden and Denmark. “Given the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the sharp and sudden increase in global fuel prices, we are taking measures to strengthen our resilience,” SAS said in a statement to AFP.
“One such measure is a limited number of short-term flight cancellations.” it said.
A barrel of Brent oil, the benchmark reference for energy markets, has risen to around $100 since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, leading Iran to retaliate against oil installations in several Gulf states. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s hydrocarbon demand normally passes, is effectively closed.
Several airlines, including Air France-KLM, Cathay Pacific, Air India, Qantas, and SAS, have raised their fares to reflect the increase in jet fuel prices, while many airlines have stopped serving destinations in the Middle East over security concerns.
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