WELLINGTON, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - New Zealand's national airline said Thursday it would cancel 1,100 flights over the next two months, pointing to the impact of the war in the Middle East.

Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said around five percent of its flights will be cancelled, affecting 44,000 passengers.

The cancelled flights are mostly on domestic routes within New Zealand but will also include some international flights, he said.

Flights between New Zealand and the United States would not be impacted due to increased demand for alternative routes to Europe, Ravishankar added.

"With the unprecedented volatility in jet fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East, airlines around the world are adjusting fares and their schedules to help manage the impact of these significantly increased costs," Ravishankar said.

Ravishankar said jet fuel typically cost about US$85 a barrel, but prices were now double that.

Cancellations would help keep flying as affordable as possible and ensure the company was efficient with fuel, he said.

On Tuesday, Air New Zealand raised ticket prices on all routes.

Oil prices this week surged well above $100 a barrel, after Iranian attacks on shipping effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.