Ministers are attempting to save British families’ summer holidays by allowing airlines to cancel other flights more easily after Donald Trump’sIran war caused jet fuel costs to soar.
Airlinesaround the world arealready scrapping flights and adding extra chargesafter prices roughly doubled in the wake of the conflict, prompting fears of travel misery for millions of holidaymakers.
Earlier this week, the prime minister even suggested people may have to change “where they go on holiday” if the crisis in the Middle East continues and the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen.
Now, ministers have announced they will ease restrictive “use it or lose it” flight slots, which they say will help prevent last-minute cancellations for long-anticipated summer holidays.
The move will allow airlines to cancel and merge flights – many of which, such as business flights, run on less popular routes during the summer – without suffering a penalty, thereby reducing demand for aviation fuel and preserving it for holiday flights.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the government would “do everything we can to insulate our country from the impact of the situation in the Middle East”.
“The government has been monitoring jet fuel supplies daily and working with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to stay ahead of any problems,” she said.
She said there were “no immediate supply issues, but we’re preparing now to give families long-term certainty and avoid unnecessary disruption at the departure gate this summer”.
Passengers are entitled to be rerouted or refunded if their flight is cancelled by the airline, she stressed.
It is understood that the move comes after a call from the industry for greater clarity on the government’s contingency planning.
On Saturday,Air Indiaannounced it was cutting nearly 100 flights because of sky-high jet fuel costs, while in the US, the low-costSpirit Airlines announcedit would shut down its operations immediately after 34 years, leaving thousands of passengers scrambling to rebook their travel plans.
Under the UK plans, airlines will be allowed to hand back some of their allocated take-off and landing slots without losing the right to operate them the following season.
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It would apply from a number of UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Luton, London City, Birmingham and Bristol.
The move was welcomed by the trade body, which represents companies like British Airways, Easyjet, Jet2, Ryanair, Tui and Virgin Atlantic.
Tim Alderslade, the chief executive of Airlines UK, said: “We welcome the government’s contingency planning, including slot alleviation, which is one measure which enables airlines to adjust schedules responsibly, avoid unnecessary flying, and continue operating efficiently while protecting connectivity for passengers.”
He added: “We are planning to take our customers on their well-earned holidays this summer and will always look after them in line with our obligations.”
Julia Lo Bue-Said, the chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, a consortium of more than 700 travel agencies, said the move “comes at exactly the right time, as consumers begin planning their summer holidays”. She added: “It will strengthen confidence and provide valuable reassurance to holidaymakers and the travel industry, as we approach the peak booking season.”
The government says that while UK airlines say they are not currently facing supply issues, it wants to be able to act quickly if it needs to.
Ministers also highlight that the UK imports jet fuel supplies from a range of countries not reliant on the Strait of Hormuz, which has been caught up in the Iranwar, including the United States.
The UK’s independent aviation regulator said it expected passengers who did have their flights cancelled to get “as much notice as possible”.
Rob Bishton, the chief executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said passengers in the UK had some of the strongest protection rights in the world.
“Airlines have a duty to look after their passengers when they face disruption, and should offer a choice between a refund or alternative travel arrangements, including with another airline, if a flight is cancelled.
“Relaxing the rules around slots at airports will allow airlines more flexibility, and so we expect them to give passengers as much notice as possible of cancellations during this period.”
The Independent's travel expert, Simon Calder, said: “Airlines serving the UK have been told that if they forecast having to ground flights because of a possible jet fuel shortage, they should ask permission to do so sooner rather than later. The aim: to avoid last-minute cancellations and give passengers more certainty.”
