Airline and travel shares listed on the London Stock Exchange have rocketed after Iran said it has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, potentially signalling an end to weeks of chaos to the tourism industry. London-listed Wizz Air and Easyjet jumped nine and eight per cent on the news, after the
Felix Armstrong
Friday 17 April 2026 2:33 pm | Updated: Friday 17 April 2026 2:47 pm
Airline and travel shares listed on the London Stock Exchange have rocketed after Iran said it has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, potentially signalling an end to weeks of chaos to the tourism industry.
London-listed Wizz Air and Easyjet jumped nine and eight per cent on the news, after the blockage to the crucial shipping strait had threatened a cliff-edge to jet fuel supplies.
The FTSE 100 jumped on Friday after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz will be “completely open” for the rest of its ceasefire with the US and Israel.
Shares in British Airways owner IAG, which is FTSE 100 listed, bounced by more than five per cent.
Budget holiday provider On The Beach jumped more than three per cent while Premier Inn owner Whitbread took a three per cent bounce.
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The market reprieve for tourism stocks came after a European energy chief warned the continent has only around six weeks of jet fuel left.
Europe could swerve ‘largest ever energy crisis’
Fatih Birol, who heads the International Energy Agency, described the Hormuz blockage as “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced”.
Around a fifth of the world’s oil supply had passed through the strait every year before the Iran war broke out, and the conflict has highlighted the reliance of global economies on this trade route.
Dozens of airlines had taken measures to protect themselves from surging energy prices and potential fuel shortages.
Read more British Airways, Easyjet shares soar as Iran ceasefire brings relief for airlines
Lufthansa, United Airlines and KLM had all said they would ground flights while the disruption continued.
Easyjet had faced £560m loss
Easyjet said on Thursday it expects to take a whopping £560m loss as it battles with surging fuel prices.
The FTSE 250 firm said a single purchase of 18 per cent of its fuel in March, when prices were rocketing, added a £25m hit to its bottom line.
Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, surged over 25 per cent to highs of $118 per barrel in a day’s trading session – marking the commodity’s biggest one-day gain in six years.
Iran’s reopening of the strait came as Prime Minister Keir Starmer held crisis talks with Emmanuel Macron in Paris as around 40 allied leaders pushed for the trade route to be cleared.
Reacting to the news President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!”
The President announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran last Wednesday, causing markets to surge.
But peace talks between the White House and Tehran collapsed after Israel launched strikes on Lebanon, prompting Trump to threaten to blockade the strait.
The ceasefire has since been extended to cover Lebanon and the US and Iran are set to meet for further talks in Pakistan in the coming days.
Read more FTSE 100 jumps as Strait of Hormuz fully open following ceasefire
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