airport

A KEEN traveller is determined to visit EVERY country that flies from his local airport – and is more than halfway there already.

Savvy jet-setter Neil Loft is attempting to tick off all 120 destinations that fly from Bristol Airport.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel. 

So far, Neil has ticked off 86 locations offered by Bristol Airport, leaving him with 34 left – although he does have an advantage working as cabin crew.

But not all of his travelling is done through work. Neil also spends lots of his free time exploring the world – last year he managed to visit 21 destinations.

Neil has only upped his efforts this year visiting as many as three places in one day, which he managed to do for as little as £3.

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He travelled from Basel in Switzerland, to St Louis in France, and Weil am Rhein in Germany all within 24 hours.

Neil said: “It was quite straightforward, really. Without even realising, I had crossed the bridge and walked into a new country.”

On day two of his trip to Basel, Neil caught the tram to the French border, where he walked over to St Louis to enjoy a local delicacy: croque monsieur.

Neil then returned to Basel before hopping on a tram across the border to Weil am Rhein in Germany.

There, he had a beer at a rooftop bar before heading back to his Swiss hotel.

Despite travelling to three different countries in 24 hours, the entire day trip cost him just £3 thanks to the travel pass he got on arrival in Basel.

Neil explained: “It was shockingly easy. I took a bit of time in each to have a drink and a mooch about but you could have done all three countries in two or three hours if you wanted to.”

Other spots in Europe that Neil has visited include Zurich, Vilnius, Kaunas, Almeria, Bilbao, Turkey, Innsbruck, and Bucharest.

When it comes to being savvy with flights, Neil says his jobs as a holiday rep and then cabin crew for 10 years helped.

Through this, he knows how to get the best flight and pair them up with the hotels and transfers.

Neil added: “I am well on track to achieve [all 120 destinations]. I have only got a handful more to do.

“I have no commitments to hold me back, so I am just an intrepid traveller really.

“I have to go on my airline apps to remind myself where I am going some of the time. I just tend to see a deal and go book it.”

A Frontier Airlines plane has hit and killed a person at Denver’s international airport, prompting the evacuation of passengers. Authorities say the man jumped a perimeter fence and ran in front of the plane as it was taking off to Los Angeles.

A UK airport will cease all flights from today as it winds down for good after operating for 90 years.

The site is earmarked for a multi-billion-pound green energy plant.

Flights from Coventry Airport will officially end today, May 9, and the site is set to permanently close on June 11, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The airport first started life as Baginton Aerodrome in 1936.

It then operated as RAF Baginton during the Second World War and going on to run commercial passenger flights, general aviation and air ambulance services.

Since 2008 though, there have been no scheduled passenger flights, leading to the decision to close the site.

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Plans are now in place to turn the site into a £2.5billion battery factory designed for electric vehicle production, following planning permission approval for Greenpower Park in 2022.

GreenPower Park is expected to create up to 6,000 jobs.

Former regeneration councillor at Coventry City Council Jim O’Boyle previously said: “What we want to see are thousands of jobs created here, giving the area an economic lift.”

Mr O’Boyle, who has served on the council since 2007, lost his seat in the recent local elections to the Green Party.

Passenger flights largely began from Coventry Airport in the 1950s, ferrying passengers to the Channel Islands.

Hards Travel began operating package holiday flights to Spain, France and Italy in the 1980s, and Thomsonfly began operating jet passenger flights in 2004.

In the same year, Wizz Air flew passengers to Gdańsk and Katowice, although these stopped after just four years of operation.

Most recently, the airport had been used for charter flights and training.

This comes after Coventry announced it would close its airport in early December 2025.

Each airline has set rules about when to arrive at the airport to avoid delays – check which apply to you before you make your way to the airport this May half-term

If your family is headed abroad in May, it might be wise to pay attention to the latest airport arrival advice from airlines including Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and TUI.

Airports are expected to be packed during the school holiday period, and with fluctuating jet fuel prices concerns, many travellers want to be extra prepared for potential delays, longer queues and last-minute schedule changes.

The rules have remained mostly the same in recent months, but some airlines have specific requirements for different types of passengers or groups.

Ryanair

Ryanair advises passengers to arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure to allow enough time for check-in, bag drop and security, and also says passengers must be at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes before departure time.

Even if you’ve booked through an online travel agent, you’ll still need to verify your booking at the airport, and you’re also told to arrive at least two hours early.

EasyJet

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Passengers flying easyJet are warned on their website that airports can become especially busy during school holidays, and to allow extra time for traffic, train disruptions and queues.

The airline warns that bag drop at most UK airports closes 40 minutes before departure, although some airports and destinations may close earlier at 60 minutes. Twilight bag drop services are available the evening before flights that are scheduled for the morning.

Jet2

For Jet2, you should arrive at the airport at least two hours before the scheduled departure, or earlier, since the airline’s check-in desks generally open around two-and-a-half hours before flights.

Jet2 closes check-in desks 40 minutes before departure. Traveller are urged to check its latest travel information page at least 12 hours before flying for updates on delays or disruptions.

Like some others, the airline also offers its Twilight Check-in service at selected UK airports, allowing customers on morning flights to drop off bags the night before.

TUI

TUI’s standard check-in opens at least 2.5 hours before short- and mid-haul flights, but for long-haul flights you can check in 3.5 hours before departure.

The company warns that arriving earlier than this will not allow passengers to pass through security sooner, and that those travelling with hand luggage only and who have already checked in online can go straight to security after arriving at the airport.

For groups travelling together on the same booking, TUI advises that only one person needs to go to the bag drop with all passports, visas, boarding passes, and luggage.

For all airlines, general advice is to keep travel documents easily accessible, check flight updates online before leaving for the airport and prepare for longer queues during peak travel periods such as the May half-term.

THERE’S nothing worse than getting caught out by dreaded overweight baggage fees at the airport.

Thankfully this nifty gadget can help you avoid forking out up to hundreds in extra luggage charges.

MYCarbon Portable Luggage Scale, £6.98 (was £10.99)

The luggage scale is currently on sale at 36% off. It originally sold at £10.99 and it costs only £6.98 today.

Even if you’ve made sure your bag or suitcase fits within your airline’s sizing limits, that doesn’t mean it won’t become too heavy.

Airlines can charge extortionate fees for overweight luggage.

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British Airways, for example, charges you a heavy bag charge of £65 even if your luggage is just 1kg over the 23kg weight limit.

This applies to both the way there and the way home, so this expensive mistake could cost you £130.

Jet2 and easyJet charge a fee of £12 per kilo you are over the weight limit.

This means that if you overpack to the 32kg limit for a standard 15kg bag, you would be charged a stinging £204.

That’s twice the cost of some city breaks just to bring your suitcase with you.

MYCarbon Portable Luggage Scale, £6.98 (was £10.99)

Avoid getting caught out and having to fork out a fee by using this nifty at-home luggage scale.

The gadget has nearly 27,000 reviews, the large majority of which are 5-star and praise how easy it is to use.

One happy shopper shared: “I can confidently say it is a must-have for anyone looking to avoid those dreaded “overweight” fees at the airport.

“It’s rare to find a gadget that is both simple and incredibly effective, but this hits the mark.”

He continued to write: “​If you want a scale that is sturdy, comfortable to hold, and accurate, look no further. It does exactly what it promises with zero hassle”.

Another delighted reviewer said: “Before discovering this scale, I often faced the stress and uncertainty of whether my luggage would meet airline weight restrictions.”

“With the MYCARBON scale, those worries are a thing of the past”.

While there are luggage scales at some airports, it’s much easier to weigh your bags at home then take out what you don’t need, rather than find out at the airport that it’s already too late.

Plus nobody wants to be stuck buying a new suitcase at the airport, where prices are often hiked for passengers in a pinch left with no choice.

And who wants to essentially pay for their holiday twice just because you forgot to weigh your luggage at home?

It’s even been reported that some airline staff are rewarded with ‘bonuses‘ for catching out passengers with oversized baggage.

Avoid those pesky fees by using this scale – you can even pack it and bring it with you on holiday to make sure that your bags aren’t over the weight limit from any shopping you do abroad.

MYCarbon Portable Luggage Scale, £6.98 (was £10.99)

Prices correct at time of publication.

RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary has made the headlines today, calling for an early-morning ban on airports serving alcohol to passengers.

He’s calling for the big change following a rise in badly behaved passengers that have caused flights forced to divert.

He told The Times: “It’s becoming a real challenge for all airlines

“I fail to understand why anybody in airports bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?

“There should be no alcohol served at airports outside [those] licensing hours,” he said. “We have been calling for many years for a limit of two drinks per person per airport, why don’t you limit people by boarding pass?”

So should we be banning morning beers at UK airports? Our travel experts go head to head…

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AIRPORT breakfast beers are one of those quirky British traditions, much like the Wetherspoons table number game and the dirty birthday pint.

It is pretty much guaranteed that you will see a number of sleepy-eyed Brits sinking a lager at the airport pub, no matter what time of day you arrive.

While I personally can’t stomach a drink before midday, I’m also not a fan of telling hard-working Brits how they can spend their precious seven days of holiday that they’ve been saving for all year.

Michael O’Leary has long called for there to be a two-drink limit on people drinking at airports and that is something that feels like a reasonable compromise to me.

But to ban airport bars from serving any booze outside of normal UK licensing hours – typically from around 10 or 11am – seems pretty unfair when passengers can still buy a drink on the actual Ryanair flight.

Pubs are under a huge amount of financial stress these days, thanks to a raft of anti-hospitality measures introduced by our current chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

Around two pubs are closing in the UK each day – more than 2,000 since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, should we really be penalising them any further?

Add to this the fact that pubs pay an extremely high rent for their airport locations, do we want to see boozers also disappearing from here too?

I’m not sure that cutting out morning drinking will see the solution to the problem that airlines are clearly having such a huge issue with, because it won’t have any effect on the thousands of flights that fly out of the UK post-midday.

I’ve been on more late-evening Ryanair flights to Ibiza than I care to remember, when I have deep sympathy for the cabin crew serving very rowdy passengers.

Mr O’Leary has been in the industry for a long time, in fact he’s one of the most experienced airline bosses in the business, and we should be listening when he says it’s a huge problem that needs sorting.

The measures he has taken in recent years to hold disruptive passengers to account with huge court fines is clearly a huge step in the right direction, although I appreciate this is a time-consuming and costly process.

But banning the small joy of a breakfast beer in these stressful modern times, with everything that’s going on in the world? Please no.

‘More drastic measures are needed’ says Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor

LOOK, I get it – you finally got that time off work, and you’re ready for a week of sunshine and relaxing.

But it has forever baffled me as to how that translates to a pint of beer or glass of champagne at 6am when normally you wouldn’t even be awake.

I can’t think of anything worse than sinking a Guinness when I’m waiting for my flight, and certainly don’t want that sloshing around in my stomach before a long journey.

If people could restrain themselves then a ban wouldn’t be needed but sadly, without airports willing to put a cap in place, it seems more drastic measures are needed.

Haven’t we all been on that awful flight where rowdy passengers just make it worse for everyone?

With Ryanair saying that as many as a flight a day are being diverted, those costs are likely to be passed onto the passenger too.

So those drunken idiots are essentially going to make your flight more expensive.

Maybe a full ban is too far, but I would say that a drink limit is definitely needed. 

I’d back airports being required to scan boarding passes, with a cap on 1-2 boozy beverages before you get on a plane.

Lets save it for the all-inclusive pool bar, guys.

68 Ryanair passengers missed their flight to Edinburgh from Lanzarote on Monday, reportedly due to issues with the airport’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) used to register third-country nationals including British travellers

Almost 70 Ryanair passengers missed their flight to Edinburgh from Lanzarote on Monday, reportedly due to delays at border control.

Those travelling back to the Scottish capital were left stranded at Lanzarote Airport on May 4, owing to passport control system failures, with several flights believed to have been affected.

A total of 68 holidaymakers failed to reach the boarding gate before it closed, due to problems with the airport’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which is used to register third-country nationals – including British citizens.

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Ryanair confirmed all passengers who presented at the boarding gate before departure were accommodated and travelled without incident.

According to local publication Canarian Weekly, the disruption affected those travelling to destinations outside the European Union, reports Edinburgh Live.

Under the EES, travellers are required to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and a photograph, to establish a digital record valid for three years, replacing the traditional passport stamping system.

The system is intended to streamline passport checks and track how long visa-free travellers remain within the EU, however it has been beset by delays, with lengthy queues reported at passport control across various locations.

Now Lanzarote Airport has become the latest to face disruption. Operations were reportedly thrown into chaos by 11am, “causing delays and confusion in departure areas”. Canarian Weekly reports that the disruption was triggered by “a failure in the passport control system” according to National Police sources, while other sources “suggested a wider disconnection issue across Europe, which slowed systems at multiple airports”. The issue was resolved by midday.

Ryanair has recently pressured EU governments to abandon the EES during the peak travel season, writing to administrations in 29 countries demanding they halt the new entry requirements.

The airline’s chief operations officer Neal McMahon said: “Governments across Europe are attempting to roll out a half-baked IT system in the middle of the busiest travel season of the year, and passengers are paying the price, being forced to endure hours long passport control queues and in some cases, missing flights.

“The solution is simple and already provided for under EU law (EU Reg. 2025/1534) – Governments should suspend EES until September when the peak summer travel season has subsided, just as Greece has done. This would allow passengers – many of whom are travelling with young families – a smoother airport experience for their summer holidays.”

The Spanish National Police Force were contacted for a response.

RYANAIR is considering cancelling all flights to another airport in Europe over a dispute in airport fees.

The airline is reportedly set to close its base at Makedonia Airport later this year.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

Ryanair currently operates three aircraft from its base in Thessaloniki, but is considering shutting it down from October 2026.

Reports have been linked to issues related to a 15 per cent increase in airport charges.

However, no official announcement has been made by the airline.

With the airline considering leaving the city, there are growing concerns about tourism within Thessaloniki – a place where tourists visit to see Mount Olympus and the beautiful beaches of Halkidiki.

The news has prompted Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis to call an emergency meeting with regional tourism officials to assess the situation.

A tourism representative told local media that the “priority for everyone is and must be the interest of the city.

“If the reason for the possible closure is the high increases, then Fraport should reconsider its pricing policy.”

Sun Travel has approached Ryanair for comment.

This isn’t the first time Ryanair has closed a base due to the rising cost of airport fees.

The budget airline confirmed last year they would be cutting 1.2million seats across Spain and closing bases in the likes of Valladolid and Santiago de Compostela.

The airline also recently announced that it would be reducing its flight schedule to and from Berlin by 50 per cent.

When it comes to flights being affected, this means Ryanair passenger numbers will fall from 4.5million to 2.2million by next year.

This will affect flights from the UK which includes routes from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

TWO more countries in Europe are set to ignore the new entry rules that have caused chaos at airports.

The new Entry/Exit System (EES) now requires all non-EU citizens to undergo biometric checks at the border.

Including Brits, this has resulted in queues as long as four hours and people even missing their flights.

However, Italy is expected to scrap the requirements by the May holidays in a bid to avoid the chaos, continuing to stamp passports instead.

And Portugal, while not scrapping entirely, has temporarily paused the EES rules if queues are too long.

Both Faro and Lisbon Airport have been some of the worst affected by massive waits.

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Yet passengers have said they are being waved through to ignore the biometric machines when there are huge crowds.

It comes after Greece also scrapped the rules ahead of summer.

The Greek embassy confirmed last month: “In the framework of the implementation of the Entry/Exit System, as of 10 April 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.”

Eleni Skarveli, the director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, added: “The Greek National Tourism Organisation remains committed to ensuring a seamless and welcoming journey for all visitors from the UK.”

Airlines such as Ryanair are calling on other countries to pause the rules too, with fears of more problems during the busy summer holidays.

Countries including Spain and France are yet to confirm if they will follow suit.

Here’s everything you need to know about the EES system.

And our Deputy Travel Editor revealed how to avoid the huge EES queues this summer.

A HUGE new airport could soon make it easier to travel to one of the iconic Wonders of the World.

Chinchero International Airport was first announced nearly 30 year ago, in a bid to increase tourism to Peru.

The new airport would be on the outskirt of Chinchero, which would mean getting to the historic Machu Picchu much easier as well.

Currently, tourists take days travelling from Lima and Cusco, usually via plane and bus, followed by a hike.

But the new airport – first announced back in 1978 – could make it much easier.

It has run into a number of problems over the years, including internal conflicts across Peru, the Covid pandemic and complaints from locals.

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However, it now hopes to be able to be finished by 2027, with plans to open to the public by 2028.

Predicted to cost $682milliom (£500million), as many as eight million tourists per year could travel through.

This would increase tourism by 200 per cent to the region.

One local told the BBC: “I’ve been hearing about the airport for about 30 years.

“And if I had been here for 50 years, I would have been hearing about it for 50 years.”

It is unlikely to have flights from Europe, as experts have said that “transoceanic flights” wouldn’t be possible due to the altitude.

Currently, most Brits fly to the airport in Lima, Jorge Chávez International Airport, which opened a new passenger terminal last year.

It is likely that instead there would be direct flights from Lima to the new airport.

However, there are fears that the new airport could make the already over-touristy region even worse.

Others have said the new airport would harm the local wildlife, as well as bring too many tourists to the already-busy attraction.

In the mean time, some of the other Wonders of the World are much easier to visit.

The Colosseum in Rome is one of them, which is a short flight from the UK. There is also Petra in Jordan, with direct flights to Amman followed by a car ride or guided tour.

The others are slightly more difficult – the Taj Mahal in India is a long flight from the UK, as is the Great Wall of China , Mexico‘s Chichen Itza and Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.

Here are all of the Modern Wonders of the World too.

GOING on holiday to Greece this year just became a whole lot easier.

If you dream of lazing on white sand beaches and gazing at turquoise waters with a Mythos beer in hand, you’re in luck.

Getting to Greece is set to be a breeze, as the country has ditched the new European border control systems for Brits that have resulted in three-hour queues as holidaymakers arrive at their destinations.

On April 18, the Greek Embassy stated that Brits entering the country will not have to enrol in the new EU border biometrics system, EES.

This means British holidaymakers visiting Greece can skip the fingerprint scanning and questioning that comes with enrolling in the Entry/Exit System.

Not only can you skip the queues in time for your Greek summer holiday, but if you’re yet to book something abroad, you still have time to nab an affordable break.

Insiders at Travel Supermarket have tipped Sun Travel off about the country’s most affordable destinations – plus we’ve found last-minute deals you can bag for cheap.

Here are the trusted travel company’s top five cheapest Greek island destinations, based on the average price per person for a 7-night stay.

*Prices correct at time of publication

5. Crete

Crete is one of the most affordable Greek holiday destinations, with an average holiday price per person of £718 for a week away (though we’ve found a steal of a deal for £235pp).

Chania on the west coast offers some of the island’s most beautiful natural landscapes, where you can hike Samaria Gorge or laze on the pinkish sands of Elafonisi Beach.

Lasithi on the east coast is home to lots of upscale resorts, which may bring the average holiday price up compared to the other islands.

Heraklion in the centre houses the island’s fascinating historical artefacts.

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is well worth an afternoon’s visit, and the coastal city of Rethymno has a historic Old Town.

4. Santorini

Given that sunny Santorini is an A-lister hotspot, it may come as a surprise that it’s made the list of the cheapest Greek islands to book for Brits.

The average price per person for a week’s holiday here is just £621, which feels like a bargain considering its status.

Santorini is a picture-perfect Greek island, with bright white buildings that tumble down hills towards the Aegean Sea.

Visit Oia Village to spot blue-domed churches and to find the best viewpoints for the island’s spectacular sunsets, or sail off on a catamaran cruise to look back at the island from afar.

3. Rhodes

Rhodes remains a popular choice for British holidaymakers, and comes in joint-second place for the most affordable of the Greek islands.

Think picturesque whitewashed villages, cobbled narrow streets and endless blue horizon.

Not only are there plenty of beautiful beaches, like the emerald cove of Anthony Quinn Bay or beach-bar-lined Tsambika Beach, but there’s plenty of history here, too.

Wander the UNESCO-listed Medieval Old Town to its massive 14th-century castle, or walk the preserved Street of the Knights.

2. Lefkas

At an average cost of £599pp, Lefkas, or Lefkada, is the second-most affordable Greek island according to data from Travel Supermarket.

This lesser-known island has plenty of picturesque traditional villages and beautiful white limestone cliffs.

It’s worth visiting this quiet island before more people catch on to its beauty. Top beaches include the unspoiled Milos Beach and the crystal-clear waters of Agiofilli Beach.

Take a visit to the island’s traditional fishing resorts like Nidri, where its pretty harbour faces electric-blue waters.

This island also connects to mainland Greece via a bridge, making it one of the only islands you can drive to if you’re not a fan of travelling by boat.

1. Kefalonia

Kefalaonia was revealed as the most affordable Greek island, with the average week-long holiday costing just £554pp.

As the largest Ionian island, Kefalonia has plenty to offer.

This beautiful island is full of white sand beaches and hidden coves to explore, such as the Blue Flag-listed Antisamos Beach and the crescent-shaped Myrtos Beach.

Plus, this is a great island to escape to for pure relaxation, as it offers a much more relaxed feel in comparison to the nightlife of its buzzy neighbours, Corfu and Zakynthos.

With so many affordable holidays to pick from, which Greek island destination would you go for?

Chris Webber, Head of holidays and deals at Travel Supermarket, suggests ticking off celeb-favourite Santorini.

He says: “Rhodes has been our most booked Greek island so far this year, but it’s only our third cheapest and fifth in terms of price drops — which shows there are real bargains out there for holidaymakers willing to look beyond the usual suspects.”

“The biggest surprise is Santorini. It has a reputation as a pricey, aspirational destination, but it’s had the largest price drop of any
Greek island we track, down more than £200 per person on the same time last year.”

“If Santorini has ever been on your list, now is clearly the moment to go.”

Follow @thesuntravel on Instagram on TikTok for more travel tips and inspiration

More commercial flights have been departing from Iran’s largest airport following its reopening last week.

Iranian authorities announced the resumption of flights at Imam Khomeini international airport after approximately 58 days of suspension since the launch of the US-Israel war on Iran. Flight information boards also went offline after the closure of Iran’s airspace.

For weeks, the suspension of flights stranded many travellers, disrupted businesses, and separated families.

Air traffic gradually resumed from April 25 with flights to 15 destinations operated by eight domestic airlines, covering regional and international destinations such as Medina, Istanbul, Muscat, China and Russia. Yet the number of flights is a fraction of what it was before the war.

Maryam, a passenger who planned to go to Toronto to see her daughters, told Al Jazeera: “After a lot of stress and problems, now I’ve found a ticket with an Iranian airline — flying first to Armenia with a long layover, and then on to Canada.”

Before the war, the airport was bustling with travellers and would witness 150 flights on a typical day. Now, terminals that were packed, then empty, are slowly filling up again as flights resume.

Ramin Kashef Azar, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, told Al Jazeera that the return of foreign carriers, many of which have operated in the country for years, “will depend on political stability and their own risk assessments.” According to the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, 20 aircraft have been destroyed and are no longer operational. However, the airport infrastructure has not been damaged and is approximately 95 percent ready.

These developments come after Iran’s gradual reopening of its airspace from April 19, in four phases. It encompasses transit flights followed by domestic flights, culminating in the full resumption of operations at international airports, as stated by the Iranian aviation regulator.

Foreign companies are apprehensive about returning to operate at Iranian airports amid the uncertainty surrounding the political and negotiating landscape between Tehran and Washington.

Targeting of airports

Iran’s civil aviation sector has suffered damage as a result of the war. More than 3,300 people have been killed in Iran, and thousands have been injured, in addition to widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Another airport that was subject to US-Israel attacks several times was Mehrabad airport, also in Tehran. The airport mainly handles domestic flights. Located in the west of the capital, it was the official airport for international and domestic flights before the construction of Imam Khomeini airport in 2009.

In addition to Mehrabad, airports in Kashan, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Mashhad, Khoy and Urmia were also targeted. Several civilian aircraft have been damaged.

It is not the first time Mehrabad Airport has been attacked. In June 2025, it was reported that Israel targeted Mehrabad airport during the 12-day war. Iranian authorities, however, said the airport and its runways escaped damage.

The impact of the war goes beyond airports. It has affected other businesses, causing revenue losses, layoffs and operational disruptions.

Babak, a tour guide, said he and many of his colleagues lost their jobs “because there were no incoming or outgoing tours, as flights were suspended and the war was ongoing”.

Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which comes with a peak aviation season for Iranian airports, also witnessed flight suspensions and caused major disruption. According to Bijan, a travel agent, this affected tours, charter flights, and hotel bookings. He added that they are processing refunds and had to cut staffing from 20 to just two.

Airports are coming back to life, and passengers are returning, hinting at a fragile normalcy after weeks of silence. Each departure signals renewed connection with the world, even as uncertainty on the ground endures.

A MAJOR airline has scrapped one of its routes from the UK due to rising fuel costs.

Lufthansa has announced that it is axing its route between Glasgow and Frankfurt, Germany, this winter as the Iran War continues to affect fuel prices.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

The German flag carrier has already stopped selling flights on the route, with the last direct flight between Glasgow and Frankfurt scheduled for May 31.

A Lufthansa Group spokesman told The Herald: “Following the decision to discontinue Lufthansa CityLine flights effective immediately and to reduce unprofitable flights in the future due to high kerosene prices, the Lufthansa Group’s summer schedule will be reduced by just under one percent of available seat-kilometers.

“To compensate for this, Lufthansa has taken immediate action and will consolidate the flight schedules of all Lufthansa Group airlines, cancelling 20,000 flights by the end of October.

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“As a result of these decisions, flights to Glasgow will no longer be operated by Lufthansa via Frankfurt, but for the time being, by Edelweiss via Zurich offering access to the Swiss International Air Lines network.”

Flights between Glasgow and Frankfurt were first launched back in 2018 and currently there are 13 flights a week.

Lufthansa usually uses an Airbus A320 for this route, with between 168 and 180 seats.

As a result, this would mean the route carries as many as 2,340 passengers a week or 9,360 passengers over a month.

The airline previously announced that it plans to cancel more than 20,000 flights this summer as a result of rising fuel costs.

Most of the routes impacted will be short haul, with the airline also shutting down its subsidiary airline, CityLine.

Before flying hundreds of people across the world, one pilot has a particular practice he does every single time before he flies – and it’s not what you might expect

Operating an aircraft isn’t your typical 9-5 job, with varied hours and flight schedules at all hours of the day. Yet for one pilot, no matter what time it is, there’s one ritual he always does before every flight.

Waiting at the airport and clocking a member of cabin crew or a pilot confidently walking through the terminal in their pristine uniform and perfectly packed travel bag can sometimes leave the average passenger feeling a little awestruck. It is like you’re spotting a celebrity for the first time or seeing someone you shouldn’t.

It can leave us filled with curiosity about the people who take to the skies for a living, and call a plane their office while cruising at 41,000 feet. Offering an insight into the life of a pilot, Tom Copestake revealed what he gets up to before every flight, whether he’s departing at the early hours of the morning or at night.

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Tom has been a Wizz Air pilot for four years and, during that time, has flown thousands of passengers on more than 750 flights, visiting more than 50 countries. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror about life as a pilot, he disclosed: “Sometimes my alarm goes off at 3am or sometimes I’m not starting work until 6pm in the evening.

“But no matter what, whenever I get to the airport, the first thing I always do is get a vanilla latte and an almond croissant. It somehow resets my mind to say, ‘ok, this is the start of my work day.’ It’s the first thing I do, and I think an airport ritual isn’t a bad idea. “

And the airport isn’t the only place, Tom, who is based at London Luton Airport, can enjoy the tasty treat. “We have some early starts, but having a cup of coffee and a croissant, going over the Alps, with this fabulous view in front of me, nothing beats it.”

While taking in the incredible vistas, Tom added: “There are parts of the earth that we look down on that no one has ever walked on – it’s really cool.

“The way it makes you feel really small, but insignificant somehow. Looking down at this expanse of snow and mountains or sand and desert, but it’s the most exhilarating feeling, I love it.”

Sharing a closer insight into his job as a pilot, Tom acknowledged: “This is a customer service job that happens to be in the aviation industry, and I love the fact that each of the thousands of passengers I’ve flown has a story and a reason to travel.

“It might be for fun, to see family, or we have people who might be working in different countries. It’s really cool, and I love that so much.” He humbly added: “This job is a privilege”.

For more information on Wizz Air flights, or to book your next getaway, visit its website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Japan Airlines says it will trial humanoid robots as workers at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, with tasks including baggage handling and cabin cleaning.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi has been seeing more flights take off at the main airport in Iran’s capital, where operations resumed on Saturday as the ceasefire with the US and Israel continues.

Four UK airports have found themselves in the top 10 of the ‘worst for delays’ across Europe, with one securing the top spot following average delays of almost two hours

A UK airport has been named the ‘worst in Europe’ for delays, while three other UK airports also found themselves in the top 10.

New research from AirAdvisor ranked Manchester Airport as the worst airport in Europe for hour-long flight delays. The airline comparison experts analyzed data from 9,594,711 flights across 46 European airports in 2025 to reveal results based on the percentage of flights delayed by 60 minutes or more (weighted at 70 percent) and the average length of those delays (weighted at 30 percent).

This saw Manchester take the top spot, with 6.16 percent of its flights delayed by 60 minutes or more in 2025 and an average delay of 116.7 minutes, which amounts to almost 2 hours. AirAdvisor AirData found that the routes from Manchester most prone to delays were to Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Dublin.

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A Manchester Airport spokesperson told The Mirror: “This analysis of the Civil Aviation Authority’s data is misleading as it ignores important context – context which is directly referenced by the CAA in the notes accompanying the research and in the research itself. Punctuality is affected by factors that are outside of an airport’s control. The two most significant factors contributing to delays in the last year have been industrial action affecting air traffic control in Europe, and the weather. These were exacerbated by airspace restrictions above conflict zones meaning airports with significant long-haul networks, like Manchester, were more significantly affected than others.

“As an industry we are working collectively to achieve the best possible on-time departure rates, while protecting flight schedules and avoiding the need for cancellations.”

But it wasn’t just Manchester that found itself named among the worst. Birmingham, London Gatwick, and London Stansted joined the airport, making the UK the most represented country in the top 10.

London Gatwick was ranked the sixth worst in Europe, with a 5.24 percent rate of hour-long delays and an average delay of 111.88 minutes. According to the data, AirAdvisor found that the most impacted routes from Gatwick were to three major holiday hotspots: Barcelona, Malaga, and Lisbon.

In tenth place was Birmingham Airport, after the experts found that it scored a 5.26 percent rate of hour-long delays and an average duration of 108.01 minutes. The most disrupted routes from Birmingham were said to be flying to the popular destinations of Amsterdam, Dublin, and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “Flight delays can happen for several reasons including industrial action and bad weather, some of which are out of an airport’s control. This month over half of all aircraft left on time and we continue to work hard to improve punctuality. Our colleagues work tirelessly to provide brilliant passenger service, with the vast majority of people rating their experience as excellent.”

Meanwhile, London Stansted came in joint tenth with Birmingham, after data found that it had a 5.5 percent rate of hour-long delays and an average delay of 106.24 minutes. AirAdvisor said the most delayed routes from Stansted were to Dublin, Edinburgh, and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen.

A London Stansted Airport spokesperson told the Mirror: “It’s very important to put this analysis into perspective. The data looks at 46 airports but there are more than 340 major airports across Europe, so this represents a small and self-selective sample. This type of analysis of the Civil Aviation Authority’s data is misleading as it ignores important context – context which is directly referenced by the CAA in the notes accompanying the research and in the research itself.

“It should also be noted this research has been produced by a flight compensation company and looks specifically at delays of more than 60 minutes, which are often driven by wider factors such as air traffic restrictions, industrial action, adverse weather impacts and airline operations, airline crew shortages or delays to inbound flights rather than airport performance.