As jet fuel prices continue to soar – including for Switzerland’s airlines – spending summer holidays abroad in 2026 will become quite a bit more expensive.
The war in the Middle East is driving up fuel prices, affecting not only motorists who have to pay more at the pump, but the aviation industry as well.
Therefore, summer travel to and from Switzerland will cost more as SWISS and Edelweiss airlines increase their fuel surcharges.
Because kerosene is now more expensive, both carriers pass higher costs on to consumers via more expensive plane tickets.
Both airlines confirmed that they have raised the surcharges on air fares as a result of the increase in jet fuel prices.
However, this upward trend is evident in other airlines as well.
According to IATA, the world’s leading airline association “a rise in airfare prices is inevitable given the surge in the cost of hydrocarbon due to the war in the Middle East.”
How much more will you have to pay to fly abroad in the coming months?
Much depends on the route.
However, according to a study by Comparis consumer platform published on April 30th, air fares are currently up to 77 percent higher than there were five years ago.
And if you are thinking of postponing international travel until later, don’t count on lower fares in the near future.
“We’re not out of the woods yet. Flying is going to become even more expensive,” said Michael Kuhn, the author of the Comparis study.
That’s because “the sharp rise in kerosene prices since the start of the war in Iran has only had a delayed effect on ticket and package holiday prices,” he said.
“Its true extent will only be visible in the coming months.”
And there will be other consequences as well
Besides higher air fares, Kuhn warned that airlines will fly to fewer destinations and more flight cancellations are to be expected as well.
To save money, “airlines are optimising their networks, eliminating unprofitable flights, taking fuel-inefficient aircraft out of service and concentrating on a few connecting hubs,” he pointed out.
These measures are already underway in Switzerland.
In mid-April, Edelweiss airline announced it was eliminating, with immediate effect, its flights from Zurich to two US destinations: Denver and Seattle.
Additionally, the frequency of another US-bound flight – from Zurich to Las Vegas – “will also be reduced during the early summer and autumn.”
