The CEO of Airlines UK has delivered an update on the jet fuel crisis and what this means for travel, including throughout the summer holidays.

Following the outbreak of US-Israeli strikes on February 28, air travel was plunged into chaos, with route cancellations and a dramatic increase in jet fuel prices. The situation deteriorated significantly when Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas flows, sparking a global shortage.

During the jet fuel crisis, Cathay Pacific axed numerous flights between May 16 and June 30, while Qantas Airways and Virgin Atlantic raised alarms about supply shortages and escalating costs. Lufthansa, one of Europe's largest airlines, also cautioned in April that grounding aircraft due to fuel shortages "may be unavoidable".

With widespread uncertainty about air travel, some holidaymakers have been reluctant to book their next trip, leading to an uptick in last-minute reservations. Research from IPSOS, a market research company, revealed that 5% of UK adults have scrapped a holiday over fears they won't be able to return home amid jet fuel shortages, while a further 10% are contemplating doing so.

Additionally, IPSOS found that a quarter of Brits are still looking overseas for their next break but are exploring alternative modes of travel rather than flying. Nevertheless, a travel expert has reassured that there is no current evidence of a jet fuel shortage in the UK, reports the Mirror.

Speaking at ABTA's Travel Matters conference in London, Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, said: "All of the information from the government, when we speak to the designated Department for Transport (DFT), is that we're not seeing a shortage. Visibility certainly over the next one or two [months] is very, very good, and that is not abnormal in terms of how airlines have visibility of future supply."

He added: "I think airlines are seeing that late bookings will be a driver, and the government has put in place a temporary slot alleviation purely as a precaution and contingency, which is something that some parts of the LX sector ask for purely just for taking some resilience into that system.

"So, I'm not going to say we're completely over the worst; we don't know how to do in situations, but I think we're in a better place than perhaps we were a couple months ago."

With soaring jet fuel costs sparking fears that airlines may be forced to hike ticket prices, Alderslade was quizzed on what travellers could expect come July. He told the ABTA conference: "There are good deals out there, airlines are competing, and they want early bookings, obviously for forward visibility. But I think it wouldn't be too late in terms of future bookings, but there's plenty of supply out there."