KLM has cancelled UK flights to major destinations within Europe in response to rising fuel costs.

In an update issued to passengers on April 16, the Dutch airline said it has made a “number of adjustments to its flight schedule for the coming month” as soaring fuel costs mean some flights are no longer cost-effective to run. KLM said it will operate 80 fewer return flights to and from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which is less than 1% of its European flights during that period.

The cancellations affect destinations that the airline serves multiple times per day, including London and Düsseldorf, so any passengers affected by the changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight.

KLM has made clear that the cancellations are not related to any fuel shortages and are simply a cost-related measure.

In an update on Tuesday (April 21), the airline announced it has also cancelled flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam up to and including June 14.

These come alongside cancellations of all flights to and from Dubai until the same date due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, one month longer than originally planned.

In a statement on the situation in the Middle East, KLM said: “KLM has made a number of adjustments to its flight schedule for the coming month. This concerns a limited number of flights within Europe that, due to rising kerosene costs, are currently no longer financially viable to operate. There is no kerosene shortage.

“KLM will operate 80 fewer return flights to and from Schiphol, which is less than 1% of its European flights during that period.

“Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight. As these are destinations KLM serves multiple times a day, such as London and Düsseldorf, travellers can usually be accommodated quickly.

“KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.”

The cancellations come as the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that Europe has “maybe six weeks” of jet fuel left due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, meaning there could be flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain restricted by the Iran war.

Iran continues to have a stranglehold on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which is causing “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced”.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said Asian countries such as Japan, India and China that rely on energy from the Middle East are on “the front line”, but pressure will then “come to Europe and the Americas”.

If the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened, the impact on Europe may be that “some of the flights from city A to city B might be cancelled as a result of lack of jet fuel”, according to Mr Birol.

In response to the jet fuel crisis, a Government spokesperson said: “We continue to engage with British airlines to support their operations against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, and to limit the impact on passengers.

“Most airlines purchase their aviation fuel in advance to offset price fluctuations, however we are aware of the impact to businesses, and are working with international allies to see a reopening of the Strait as soon as possible.”