Branson blames 'foolish leaders' for flight price rises amid Iran war

September 5, 2026 at 06:03 AM2 min

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Virgin Group founder Richard Branson blamed flight price rises on 'foolish leaders' starting wars, citing the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Virgin Atlantic added fuel surcharges in May, and Ryanair warned of 'material' fare increases if jet fuel prices stay high. Branson said the Iran war was 'completely unnecessary' and caused higher oil prices and inflation worldwide.

Key Facts

Virgin Atlantic added a fuel surcharge of £50 to economy class fares, £180 to premium, and £360 to business class in May.
European benchmark jet fuel price spiked from around $800 per tonne to a peak of over $1,800 in April, and has since dropped to around $1,450.
Ryanair said it would reduce its winter schedule and warned European short-haul fares would 'increase materially' if jet fuel prices continue to rise until next summer.
Virgin Atlantic expects to fly 95% of its regular winter schedule, with no big changes planned despite higher fuel costs.
Virgin Atlantic secured a contract to fly Team GB and ParalympicsGB to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Fuel Surcharges

Virgin Atlantic introduced fuel surcharges in May in response to rising jet fuel prices. The surcharge added £50 to an economy class fare, £180 to premium, and £360 to business class. Virgin Atlantic's chief executive, Corneel Koster, said fuel surcharges were 'absolutely required' at this level of fuel price. Koster added that it is 'hard to be optimistic at this moment about the situation in the Middle East'.

Market Impact

The European benchmark jet fuel price had been hovering around $800 (£590) a tonne before the Iran war. It spiked to a peak of over $1,800 in April and has since dropped to around $1,450. Ryanair said this week it would reduce its winter schedule because of higher fuel prices. Ryanair warned European short-haul fares would 'increase materially' if jet fuel prices continue to rise until next summer.

Winter Schedule

Despite higher costs, Virgin Atlantic does not plan to make big changes to its winter schedule. Koster said winter capacity had already been slightly reduced a few months ago. He added that if there was low demand on certain routes 'in the depths of winter', there would be some trimming or 'capacity discipline', but not 'big percentages'. The airline expects to fly 95% of its regular schedule.