EasyJet Is Quietly Shrinking Its Winter, and Fuel Is the Reason

EasyJet is removing another 700,000 seats from its winter schedule, its second round of cuts this season. Together the reductions come to roughly 1.4 million seats between October 2026 and March 2027. The airline typically sells around 50 million seats over the winter, so the latest cut is equivalent to about two days of flying, but it is a clear sign of how hard fuel costs are biting.

The cause is jet fuel, which roughly doubled after the US-Iran conflict began in February and the Strait of Hormuz was closed. Prices have started to ease but remain well above pre-conflict levels. EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis said the industry was surprised by how long fuel costs stayed high, which is why so many airlines have trimmed capacity.

EasyJet is not alone. Ryanair is cancelling flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and quieter weekends, and its chief executive expects elevated fuel costs for about another 18 months. Wizz Air has confirmed a 5 percent cut to winter capacity. IATA estimates fuel will add $100 billion to airline expenses this year, and both Spirit Airlines and airBaltic have filed for bankruptcy in 2026.

The article did not name which airports lose flights, so travelers with winter bookings should check their reservations for schedule changes. Fewer seats on the same routes also tends to push fares up, a point Ryanair’s boss made explicitly this week when he warned of summer increases.

Sources: Travel Radar, Travel Radar