- Title: United Airlines to cut 5% of scheduled flights as fuel prices soar
- Date: 21st March 2026
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (MARCH 20, 2026) (AGENCY POOL) CUBAN PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL GREETING PARTICIPANTS AT SOLIDARITY ACT WITH CUBA EVENT PARTICIPANTS APPLAUDING DIAZ-CANEL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OFFICIALS APPLAUDING CUBAN FLAG HANGING NEXT TO A BANNER READING (Spanish) "Latin America and the Caribbean, zone of peace" FOREIGN MEMBERS OF SOLIDARITY GROUPS WITH CUBA DIAZ-CANEL
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Hormuz Iran Trump US United Airlines gas oil price strait
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: US
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,North America
- Reuters ID: LVA003614321032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: United Airlines UAL.O CEO Scott Kirby said on Friday (March 20) the airline will cancel about 5% of planned flights in the short term, as jet fuel prices surge due to the Middle East conflict.
"If prices stayed at this level, it would mean an extra $11 billion in annual expense just for jet fuel," Kirby said in a message to employees posted on the company's website, adding his plans assume oil goes to $175 per barrel and does not get back down to $100 per barrel until the end of 2027.
The airline's current plan is to restore the full schedule this fall, Kirby added.
The airline is cancelling about three percentage points of capacity in off-peak periods during the second and third quarters. It has also pulled services to Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel and the Dubai International Airport in UAE, affecting about 1 percentage point of capacity.
The airline will pull another percentage point of capacity to Chicago O'Hare International Airport following the Federal Aviation Administration'splans to cut flights this summer.
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