Low cost airline axes London to Los Angeles flight due to rising fuel prices

A low-cost Norwegian airline has cancelled its flight route between London Gatwick and Los Angeles due to the rise in fuel prices.

Norse Atlantic has a fleet of 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and uses them to connect passengers on direct flights to New York, Bangkok, Cape Town, Rome, London and more.

However, one of its popular routes connecting London to Los Angeles has been axed, with the airline citing the “global fuel crisis” as the main reason.

Jet fuel prices have surged as a result of the conflict in the Middle East and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil tankers.

“This cancellation is due to the unforeseen global fuel crisis, and we unfortunately – with [a] heavy heart – had to cancel our beloved LAX routes with too high fuel risk exposure,” a spokesperson told The Independent.

“This will protect [a] sustainable future and our ability to remain a reliable service for our passengers this summer.

“We are truly sorry for the inconvenience, and apologise to passengers who have [had] their travel plans changed. We will assist disrupted passengers as best we can,” they added.

Norse Atlantic specialised in low-cost routes across the Atlantic, with its flights from London to New York still available from under £250 each way.

Other airlines have also cut flights from its itinerary due to the global fuel shortage. Air New Zealand has cancelled flights throughout May and June and Scandinavian Airlines slashed 1,000 flights in April.

Airlines have also made budget adjustments elsewhere by increasing ticket or baggage prices, as well as furloughing some cabin crew.

British airlines have largely been immune to oil price uncertainty due to the practice of hedging, whereby fuel is bought up to a year in advance.

Read more: No aviation fuel crisis for the UK (yet) – but some key questions and answers just in case