Brits could face a ‘pretty depressing’ summer if jet fuel supply issues are not resolved over the coming months, a Cabinet minister has warned amid a staycation boom.
Bookings for UK holidays over the coming months are increasing as concern over higher ticket prices because of surging jet fuel costs puts people off overseas holidays.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane that once carried a fifth of global oil and gas, has sent oil prices soaring since the US-Israeli war on Iran started.
Some airlines have already warned they will have to increase fares to offset higher costs, while online travel firms have claimed the conflict is discouraging holidaymakers from destinations in the Gulf and eastern Mediterranean, while UK hotels are cashing in.
The jet fuel price rose from approximately $99 (£73) per barrel at the end of February to as high as $209 (£155) a barrel at the beginning of April. The latest figure is $185 (£137).
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has said the conflict will likely continue to raise prices for flight tickets, energy and food in the coming months.
The Government is looking at how to offset the impact of oil prices on consumers while simultaneously striving to secure stocks of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is used by breweries, to ensure an adequate supply of beer during the World Cup.
Mr Jones told the BBC: ‘I raised this issue because if there is a problem with jet fuel on holidays and carbon dioxide on beer, the summer might be pretty depressing for people, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure that it’s not the case.’
Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the US ceasefire with Iran last week that paused most fighting, but further steps towards ending the conflict have fallen flat after the President told his envoys not to travel to Pakistan for talks.
UK airlines insist they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel because they buy it in advance and airports maintain stocks, while the Government has said it is ‘closely monitoring’ stocks and urged people to avoid changing upcoming travel plans.
Airports will make it easier for airlines to cancel flights without running the risk of losing their allocated ‘slots’ – scheduled times for take-off or landing which some UK airports assign to airlines – if fuel shortages stop them from flying.
To be honest, we were already facing a rather depressing summer; it’s called the Labour Party.
What we should be focusing on is the survival of our country, not holidays, which I must confess are fun, but pleasure is a rare commodity now with Rachel Reeves robbing us blind, but even without the holidays, it’s a pretty depressing wake-up call each morning!
Depression was already rife in Britain with the cost-of-living crisis, but now we have the fuel crisis, and now people can’t get to work because they can’t afford the fuel that has soared, and what is our government doing about it? They might say they are doing everything possible, but I see absolutely no evidence of this because our government don’t represent the working class anymore and hasn’t done so for a long time.
We have had two years of depression under Labour and three more to come, with the sky-high fuel prices, cost of living crisis, thousands of unwanted intruders, failing NHS, add this to the most enept, ineffective Prime Minister and government of all time – I mean, what is there to be cheerful about?
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 