Airlines will be forced to cancel flights due to fuel shortages this summer, government says

Brits are advised to continue with their holiday plans

As the government has acknowledged, while British airlines are not currently experiencing a shortfall in fuel supplies, authorities in Europe have warned that planes could be grounded.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has advised British travellers to continue with their summer holiday plans because UK airlines buy their jet fuel in advance and can rely on stockpiles.

However, the government is relaxing the rules over the allocation of time slots for planes taking off or landing at UK airports in case some international airlines cannot use them due to jet fuel shortages, the guidance has revealed.

“At some UK airports, airlines are given scheduled times known as ‘slots’ in which to take off or land”, the DfT document says.

It adds that “under normal rules, airlines must use at least 80 per cent of their allocated slots during a season to keep them for the following year. If they fall below this threshold, those slots can be reassigned to another airline. This is known as the ‘use it or lose it’ rule.”

“Airport Co-ordination Limited, the independent body that manages slot allocation at UK airports, has updated its guidance so that airlines will not lose their slots if fuel shortages prevent them from flying.”

“Airlines can now apply for an exemption from the ‘use it or lose it’ rule in these circumstances. This means airlines can focus on minimising disruption for passengers, rather than feeling pressure to operate flights purely to protect their slots.”

Earlier in April, the Airports Council International said if tankers cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz, “systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the EU”.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, Faith Birol, warned that Europe had “maybe six weeks or so of jet fuel left”.

“There is no current need for passengers to change their travel plans. UK airlines buy jet fuel in advance, and airports maintain stocks to support their resilience”, the UK Government guidance adds.

“The Government is working closely with the aviation industry to monitor risks and minimise disruption to passengers”, it says.

If their flight is cancelled, passengers have clear legal rights, including the right to a full refund or re-routing.

To “monitor risks, understand pressures and ensure clear communication with passengers, should circumstances change”, UK ministers and officials are meeting regularly with the airline and travel industry.

“We recognise that families may be concerned, and that aviation and tourism businesses are operating in challenging global conditions. We are working hand‑in‑hand with industry to help flights keep operating”, the document says.

What passengers should do before they travel is continue to check with their airlines, consult Foreign Office travel advice for latest updates and ensure they have appropriate travel insurance.

If a flight is cancelled, passengers are entitled to either a full refund or to be booked on to an alternative flight if they depart from an airport in the UK on any airline, arrive at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline or arrive at an airport in the EU on a UK airline, under UK law.

The government has been closely monitoring UK jet fuel stocks and working with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to ensure passengers keep moving and businesses are supported, since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz at the start of March due to the war in Iran, which started late February.

As per the DfT, ministers and officials are continuing to plan for “a range of contingencies, while focusing on securing a long lasting and workable solution to get shipping flowing freely again through the Strait of Hormuz”.