Jet fuel crisis worse than Covid for airlines, says AirAsia chief May 7, 2026 The global jet fuel shortage caused by the Iran war has caused a bigger crisis for airlines than the Covid-19 pandemic, the chief of AirAsia has warned. Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia, said: “I thought I’d seen it all with Covid […] but having seen jet fuel go up almost three times — this is much [...]
Two million global airline seats cut as jet fuel shortage grounds travel May 6, 2026 Airlines are preparing to slash millions of seats from this month’s schedule, as the Middle East conflict and soaring jet fuel prices drive up costs ahead of the industry’s busiest travel season. Some 13,000 flights have been removed from May schedules worldwide, according to data from the aviation analytics company Cirium. Istanbul, one of the [...]
Wetherspoon issues profit warning over ‘substantial’ cost hikes May 6, 2026 JD Wetherspoon has warned it could miss profit targets over “substantial increases in costs,” as pubs brace for soaring energy and shipping prices due to the Iran war. The UK’s best-known pub chain confirmed on Tuesday that the much-feared knock-on effects from the blockage to the Strait of Hormuz have begun to hit hospitality firms. [...]
The Strait of Hormuz proves fossil fuels are essential for food security May 6, 2026 Carbon emissions are not a threat to food security – the war in the Middle East is highlighting that the much bigger food challenge for the world is not having enough access to fossil fuels, says Bjorn Lomborg For years, climate campaigners have claimed that our food supply is under grave threat from climate change [...]
Wizz air urges Brits to ‘book with confidence’ despite rising fuel fears May 3, 2026 Wizz Air has moved to reassure passengers its summer schedule will run as planned, as concerns mount over potential flight disruption linked to the Middle East conflict. The budget carrier said its operations remain “fully stable and unaffected”, despite warnings from ministers that jet fuel shortages could impact travel during the peak holiday season. A [...]
Petrol retailers vindicated after Reeves ‘profiteering’ claims May 1, 2026 Petrol retailers have been vindicated of “price gouging”, pouring cold water on the government’s accusations of profiteering from the war in Iran. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that higher fuel prices in the UK were caused by the rising cost of oil, rather than by retailers expanding their margins to profit from the [...]
Hiring freezes loom as business confidence remains near record low May 1, 2026 British business leaders are bracing for hiring freezes as headcount expectations dropped into negative territory again, according to new data from the Institute of Directors. The IoD’s economic confidence Index edged up to -64 in April from -76 in March, remaining close to historic lows. But headcount expectations slipped to minus three from zero in [...]
After a ‘stunning’ update, what does the future hold for long-suffering BP? April 30, 2026 BP wowed shareholders with its first quarter results – doubling profit and bolstering its balance sheet. But with an activist breathing down its neck, its new boss Meg O’Neill isn’t out of the woods yet, writes Ali Lyon As she sat down to pen her first email to BP’s 100,000 staff, Meg O’Neill opted against [...]
Lloyds fires bank tax warning shot as industry ‘ripe for cash grab’ April 29, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group has warned the Treasury not to look at the banks for a tax raid as the industry sets its sights on booming profits in 2026. The FTSE 100 giant beat profit expectations by a cool £200m in the first-quarter after booking £2bn. This was also followed up by an upgrade to its [...]
St James’s Place shares slide as Iran war damages inflows April 29, 2026 St James’s Place saw a sharp decline in its share price during early morning trading on Wednesday, as Iran war volatility damaged inflows and funds under management. The FTSE 100 wealth manager saw shares tumble 5.2 per cent to 1,187p, with shares down 14.8 per cent this year to date. The group reported a 9.4 [...]