Passengers will have their summer holidays better protected as the UK government sets out plans which will help cut the likelihood of last-minute flight cancellations this summer.
In the event of significant disruption due to ongoing global uncertainty caused by the Middle East conflict, the contingency preparations are designed to give families greater confidence when travelling this summer.
It enables airlines to plan realistically and lock in schedules earlier so that people are less likely to be affected by short‑notice changes at the airport.
While UK airlines say they are not currently facing supply issues, the government will be consulting with the industry in order to act quickly if needs be, before disruption takes hold, giving passengers and the aviation sector the certainty they need to plan ahead.
These temporary measures would allow airlines to, for example, consolidate schedules on routes where there are multiple flights to the same destination on the same day.
Instead of cancelling flights at the last minute, the measures would help move passengers onto similar services much earlier, helping avoid stressful delays at the airport. It would also prevent running flights which have not sold a significant proportion of tickets and reduce wasted fuel from flying near-empty planes.
The Transport Secretary discussed the plans at a roundtable with key industry figures on 30 April 2026, including representatives from Heathrow, Gatwick, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the government has been monitoring jet fuel supplies daily and working with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to stay ahead of any problems.
There are 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.
This legislation will give airlines the tools to adjust flights in good time if they need to, which helps protect passengers and businesses. We will do everything we can to insulate our country from the impact of the situation in the Middle East.”
The measures being considered will allow airlines to proactively hand back a limited proportion of their allocated take-off and landing slots without losing the right to operate them the following season. ’Hand backs’ help airlines build realistic schedules and avoid last-minute cancellations rather than flying empty ‘ghost flights’ or cancelling at short notice, putting passengers’ plans at risk.
The government has said it plans for a range of contingencies to increase flexibility on jet fuel supply and domestic jet fuel production has increased. The UK imports jet fuel supplies from a range of countries not reliant on the Strait, including the United States.
Currently, if your flight is cancelled by the airline, you have a legal right to a choice between being re-routed or a refund.
If a flight is subject to a significant delay – at least 2 hours for short-haul, 3 hours for medium-haul and 4 hours for long-haul - passengers are entitled to care and assistance, including food, drink and overnight accommodation where necessary.
If notified of changes to their flights by airlines, passengers are advised to speak to their airline, travel agent or tour operator in the first instance.
Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs at ABTA – The Travel Association said:
“ABTA welcomes this move from the UK government to provide additional reassurance and confidence to people that they can go ahead and book their summer break.
“Strong consumer protections exist which already provide peace of mind to UK holidaymakers; and ABTA and our members work hard to uphold those rights.
“It is right for policymakers to take steps that enable the aviation sector to plan and to provide additional certainty, but the government’s consultation must consider all parts of the travel sector – including travel agents and tour operators. The Middle East conflict affects all of the industry, and a holistic approach is required.
“At times like these, it’s important the industry has an open dialogue with government about what is happening right now, potential challenges in the future should the situation change, and measures of support that may be needed.
“We’re doing just that, meeting government and airline colleagues on a regular basis to provide the perspective from the whole industry – making sure they understand how any impacts would be felt by our members. We’ll use this consultation as another opportunity to do that.
“Alongside that engagement, our main focus at this time is to reassure people that travel is still going ahead.”
