THEthe real risk that a plane remains on the ground not due to a technical failure, but due to the physical absence of kerosene for the flighthas become a possibility for the upcoming summer. In recent weeks, in fact, geopolitical tensions that shake the Middle East, are also significantly affecting the global transportation system. So much so that traveling can be an unknown. And it is precisely in this scenario that the European institutions have taken a position that is causing much discussion. Especially travellers, since they are the ones who pay the highest price.
Planes without fuel? Ticket refund only
EU transport ministers have established that the lack of fuel at airports will be treated as a “force majeure”a classification that radically changes the protections for those who purchase a ticket. If, in fact, a flight is canceled for this reason, the airline will only have to guarantee reimbursement of the price paid or propose an alternative solution to reach the destination.
No compensation for canceled flight
What he will no longer have, however, will be the obligation of automatic compensationthat is the monetary compensation, provided for delays or cancellations attributable to the management of the carrier. In practice, with the new provisions fuel shortages are now treated as an unpredictable eventsuch as a natural disaster such as a volcanic eruption or a perfect storm.
Geopolitical instability and the rise in raw material prices are forcing carriers to make drastic choices, transforming the flight calendar into an ever-changing puzzle. (Getty Images)
Cutting routes and the savings strategy
To avoid dealing with last minute emergencies, the large industrial aviation groups have begun to move in advance. The Lufthansa Group, for example, a German giant which also holds a 41% share of Ita Airways, the Italian flag carrier, has launched a drastic cut plan. By the month of October, approximately 20,000 flights will be canceled in advanceconcentrated above all on short-haul routes departing from Frankfurt and Munich.
However, although this move allows for great fuel savings, the immediate effect is a barrage of notifications reaching passengerswarning them that their summer flight will never take off.
The voice of consumers and the risk of endless arguments
This European decision, was not welcomed by organizations that defend users’ rights. The debate is heated: the associations, in fact, claim that the lack of fuel cannot be considered an “exceptional circumstance” regardless.
If a carrier sells tickets knowing that supplies are at risk, or if it does not order fuel in time, the company should be held responsible. The fear is that summer 2026 will become a record season for legal disputeswith thousands of passengers ready to prove that the disruption was not caused by fate, but by poor planning.
A Europe in search of tourists
In the meantime, while companies are cutting flights, on the other hand they are trying to reassure tourists, but the appeal seems to clash with a complex economic reality. Italy has also sent signals of concern through its hotel federations, fearing that the instability in air connections ends up emptying the accommodation facilities during the peak months.
The proposal being examined by Brussels to stem the crisis, concerns the creation of mandatory fuel reserves in each member statea sort of energy lifesaver that allows planes to continue flying, avoiding the blockage of global tourism.