flights

HOLIDAYS are at extreme risk of being cancelled this summer, experts have warned.

The ongoing war in Iran has already resulted in thousands of flights being cancelled around the world, due to jet fuel prices and shortages.

Ceasefire talks between the US and Iran are yet to end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, after a previous ceasefire lasted just hours.

While UK airlines are yet to see any cancellations, Dan Jorgensen, the EU energy commissioner, said it was “very likely” holidays will be affected, according to Sky News.

This includes both cancelled flights and more expensive costs, he said, as Europe is in a “serious crisis”.

He explained: “Even if we do everything we can do, if the jet fuel is not there, then it’s not there.”

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“It is primarily a crisis of prices and not yet a crisis of supply, but unfortunately we cannot be sure to prevent a crisis of supply, especially on jet fuel in the future, if the crisis continues.”

Earlier this month, the International Energy Agency warned that supply issues could hit Europe in the next five to six weeks.

ACI Europe backed this up, saying: “If the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in any significant and stable way within the next three weeks, systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality.”

Mr Jorgensen added that even if the Strait of Hormuz opened tomorrow, the “price crisis will still last for quite some time”.

It could even be years, he warned, to get down to price levels seen before the crisis.

UK airlines are yet to be affected by the fuel crisis, as many have ‘hedged’ fuel, meaning paying a set fee.

But Airlines UK, which represents a number of carriers, including BA, Virgin, easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair, are now calling on the government for support to protect flights and holidays.

This would include temporary use of fuel type Jet A (not currently allowed in the UK) as well as relaxing the strict airport slot rules that would see airlines lose them if they don’t operate flights.

Easing night flight bans and “relieving the burden of Air Passenger Duty” have also been put forward.

A huge number of airlines have already cancelled flights in response to fears of jet fuel running out.

This includes:

• Lufthansa – 20,000 cancelled up to September
• United – around 250 a month cancelled
• Air New Zealand – around 1,000 cancelled
• Scandinavian Airlines – around 1,000 cancelled
• KLM – 160 cancelled
• Cathay Pacific – two per cent of flights up to June 30

Some flights routes have been axed entirely – this includes Norse Airways, London-Los Angeles route.

And flights and holidays have already gone up in price in recent months.

The Transport & Environment (T&E) said in a statement this week that long-haul flights are up to £77 more expensive – working out to more than £300 per family.

And easyJet warned people to book holidays sooner rather than later to avoid more price hikes.

For anyone worrying about their holiday, families are better to book package holidays rather than separate flight and hotels, as most packages offer ATOL protection (meaning you will get your money back if your trip is cancelled).

It is also worth checking your travel insurance, although most policies do not cover anything related to war.

April 21 (UPI) — European airline Lufthansa announced Tuesday that it will chop 20,000 “unprofitable” short-haul flights through October, a move the company says will save more than 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel.

The company, which is based in Germany, said fuel costs have doubled since the start of the conflict in Iran. This follows a move last week to retire the 27-plane fleet of its CityLine subsidiary ahead of schedule, Politico reported.

Lufthansa canceled the first 120 flights, which were to take place through the end of May, on Monday and said it had alerted affected passengers.The 20,000 cancelations include the former CityLine flights and affect the airline’s hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels and Rome.

“Passengers will therefore continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections,” Lufthansa said in its announcement. “However, due to the increase in jet fuel prices, this will be achieved significantly more efficiently than before.”

The airline said that it will post the schedule “optimizations” from June onward in late April.

Politico reported that other airlines, including SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Air France- KLM, have turned to similar measures to deal with fuel costs.

The sharp rise in the cost of jet fuel, driven by escalating tensions in the US-Israel war with Iran, has forced several airlines to hike fares, cut routes and reassess their financial forecasts

Multiple airlines are cancelling flights and introducing new charges as a deepening jet fuel crisis sends shockwaves through the global aviation industry.

Prices have surged dramatically in recent weeks, climbing from roughly $85-$90 per barrel to as high as $150-$200, driven by escalating tensions in the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The sharp rise in costs has now forced carriers to hike fares, cut routes and reassess their financial forecasts. The spike has triggered warnings of major disruption, with International Energy chief Fatih Birol cautioning that Europe could have as little as six weeks of jet fuel supply remaining if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed.

There are more than 30 airlines around the world who say they have been forced to cancel flights or add charges:

AirAsia X – Cut around 10% of flights and introduced a fuel surcharge of roughly 20%.

Air France-KLM – Raising long-haul fares, plus cabin fares by 50 euros per round trip, as well as cancelling flights. KLM, the group’s Dutch arm, is set to scrap 160 European services in the coming months.

Air India – Switching to distance-based fuel surcharges, warning current pricing does not cover rising costs, reports the Independent.

Air New Zealand – Reducing flights through May and June, increasing fares and suspending its full-year earnings forecast.

Akasa Air – Introducing fuel surcharges ranging between 199 and 1,300 Indian rupees ($2 to $14) on both domestic and international routes.

Alaska Air – Increasing checked baggage fees by up to $150 on North American routes, as well as for its Hawaiian Airlines unit.

American Airlines – Raising baggage fees by $10 each for the first and second checked bags and by $150 for the third checked bag, while cutting some economy benefits.

Asiana Airlines – Cutting 22 flights between April and July due to fuel costs.

Cathay Pacific – Cancelling a small portion of flights from mid-May until the end of June and increasing fuel surcharges.

China Eastern Airlines – The airline said it would raise ⁠fuel surcharges for domestic flights from April 5, with flights of 800km and below hit with a 60 yuan ($9) surcharge and a 120 yuan surcharge for flights over 800km.

Delta Airlines – Delta said it would cut capacity by around 3.5 percentage points from its original plan and raise fees for checked bags.

Easyjet – CEO Kenton Jarvis previously said European consumers should expect higher ticket prices towards the end of summer, when existing fuel hedges come to an end.

Greater Bay Airlines – Said it would raise fuel surcharges on most routes from April 1, while keeping them unchanged on mainland China and Japan routes. Its surcharge for flights between Hong Kong ‌and the Philippines will more than double, the carrier said.

Hong Kong Airlines – The airline said it would raise fuel surcharges by up to 35% from March 12, with the sharpest increase on flights between Hong Kong and the Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal

Indigo – India’s biggest airline said it would introduce fuel charges on domestic and international flights from March 14.

Jetblue Airways – The US-based low-cost carrier said it was increasing fees for optional services such as checked baggage as it experiences “rising operating ⁠costs”. Baggage prices will rise by either $4 or $9, it said.

Lufthansa – Grounding 27 planes early and cutting more aircraft from its fleet.

Norse Atlantic Airways – Axed its London Gatwick to Los Angeles route because of fuel costs.

Pakistan International Airlines – Raising domestic fares by $20 and international fares by up to $100.

SAS – Will cancel 1,000 flights in April after already hiking fares.

Spring Airlines – The airline will raise domestic fuel surcharges from April 5.

Southwest Airlines – Hiking baggage fees to $45 for a first bag and $55 for a second.

SunExpress – The airline will add a temporary 10-euro fuel surcharge on Turkey-Europe routes.

TAP Air Portugal – Said fare rises would soften the blow from higher fuel prices.

Thai Airways – Increasing fares by up to 15%.

United Airlines – United Airlines is scaling back loss-making routes over the next six months. It has also been able to push up fares without seeing a major impact on bookings, chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella said, despite the sharp rise in oil and jet fuel costs.

United is also increasing first and second checked baggage fees by $10 for customers travelling within the US, Mexico, Canada and Latin America, according to Reuters.

VietJet Air – Cut flights on some routes because of fuel shortages.

Vietnam Airlines – plans to cancel 23 domestic flights a week from April. The airline reportedly requested government assistance to remove an environmental tax on jet fuel.

Virgin Atlantic – The airline is adding fuel surcharges to fares and will still struggle to return to profitability this year, its CEO Corneel ‌Koster told the Financial Times.

Volotea – Introduced a pricing policy that could add fuel surcharges of up to 14 euros per passenger.

WestJet – Cutting seats, combining flights and adding a C$60 fuel surcharge on some bookings, according to the Canadian press

Ryanair has threatened to cancel flights to a popular EU country if border control delays do not improve, as the EU’s new Entry Exit System (EES) causes waits of up to 40 minutes at its airport

Ryanair has threatened to cancel flights to a beloved European hotspot unless lengthy queue delays are brought under control.

David O’Brien, CEO of Ryanair’s Malta subsidiary Malta Air, has put the government on notice that the airline could divert capacity away from Malta to rival Mediterranean destinations if border check hold-ups at the airport fail to improve.

“If we find ourselves with significant congestion and delay, we’d have to redirect capacity away from Malta to other destinations and that’s not something we’d like to do,” he told the Times of Malta.

The EU’s new entry/exit system (EES) has triggered significant delays at a string of busy airports, with passengers in Malta facing waits of up to 40 minutes.

Have you been caught up in EES delays? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

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The problem affects all non-EU travellers, with passengers from the UK – Malta’s biggest market – bearing the brunt of the disruption.

“Europe is utterly unprepared in a general sense. We hope Malta is prepared. We haven’t reached summer peak yet,” Mr O’Brien warned.

David Curmi, executive chairman of national carrier KM Malta, also voiced his concerns to the Times of Malta over mounting delays.

“We are unable to wait for passengers to board our aircraft. Passenger compensation regulations state that we have to compensate all passengers, including those who arrive late because of this system,” he said.

Both aviation chiefs have called for the system to be suspended to prevent delays and passengers missing their flights during the peak summer period.

It was announced yesterday that Greece has suspended EU fingerprint and facial scans for British holidaymakers. The country has chosen to abandon the new biometric security measures amid fears about queue chaos spreading across the continent. Queues have been hitting the country, with four-hour waits reported in many destinations, including Greece.

Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, emphasised that the decision would “ensure a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece” and would “significantly reduce waiting times” while easing congestion at airports.

A total of 122 passengers were reportedly prevented from boarding the flight from Milan Linate to Manchester on Sunday due to delays at passport desks triggered by the roll-out of the EU’s Entry Exit System (EES). The 11am departure was delayed for 59 minutes before taking off with the bulk of seats vacant.

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Under the EES, travellers are required to register their biometric information, which involves having their fingerprints scanned and photograph captured.

They must also respond to questions about their visit, such as whether they have accommodation arranged, sufficient funds for their trip and a return ticket.

All children must register, though under-12s are exempt from fingerprinting. EES is free for travellers.

Prior to its launch earlier this year, the Home Office warned travellers to anticipate “longer wait times at border control”, while Advantage Travel Partnership advised visitors to southern Europe to “allocate four hours for navigating the new system”.

The system is designed to strengthen border security by reducing illegal migration and identifying visitors who overstay. Once registered, travellers won’t need to repeat the process for three years. Any future border crossing during that timeframe will require verification of an individual’s fingerprints and photograph, which is anticipated to be faster than the initial registration.

Ryanair has been contacted for further comment.

A POPULAR holiday destination could soon lose all of its Ryanair flights – due to huge queues at the airport.

Malta is just one of the destinations in Europe that recently implemented the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) at its airport, which requires new biometric checks.

However, recent reports found that passengers were left stranded on the tarmac for 20 minutes because the queues were so long at security inside the airport building.

David O’Brien, one of Ryanair’s executive officers and the CEO of Malta Air, said: “If we find ourselves with significant congestion and delay, we’d have to redirect capacity away from Malta to other destinations and that’s not something we’d like to do.”

He has since written to Malta’s Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri to ensure border controls are fully staffed for this summer, according to The Times of Malta.

O’Brien added that “Europe is utterly unprepared in a general sense” and that while the airline has not yet experienced significant delays at Malta Airport, it is concerned about the upcoming summertime period.

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Last year, Ryanair carried more than half of total passengers to Malta and of those travelling to the country – with the UK being the biggest market.

To try and reduce the delays, Malta Airport has introduced new measures such as a specific Schengen corridor, as well as increasing the amount of immigration desks.

The airport has also transferred more airport staff to be working on the new system.

Alan Borg, CEO of Malta International Airport told The Times of Malta: “We are working hand in hand with the Malta Police Force to make sure we can do everything possible to support them in this important initiative.

“It is what it is. We need to find ways to improve the processing time over the summer period.”

EES is a new system used across 29 European countries to register non-EU nationals, which includes Brits, for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

And Malta isn’t the only airport suffering delays due to the newly implemented EES.

Last month, Travel Reporter Alice Penwill experienced three-hour queues at Lanzarote Airport.

She said: “The queues stretched along the corridor and zigzagged all the way through the arrivals hall that took passengers to EES registration.”

“I’d already signed up to EES, having visited Lithuania a few months ago – but that was no use at all.

“There was no separate queue for – or any staff for that matter – advising those who have registered to head straight to the passport e-gates.

“While this was frustrating, what was even more so was that only half of the EES machines were actually working.

“When I finally made it to my bus transfer, even the Jet2Holidays rep said she’d ‘never seen delays this bad’.”

Delays have also been reported at Brussels, Lisbon and Prague airports.

Greece has even decided to halt the system completely.

On April 18, a statement from the Greek Embassy announced that Brits are “exempt” from biometrics at all Greek border crossing points.

Eleni Skarveli, the director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, said: “The exemption of British passport holders from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points, effective from 10 April 2026, is expected to significantly reduce waiting times and ease congestion at airports.

“UK travellers will no longer need to undergo additional EES biometric procedures, ensuring a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece.“

Sun Travel has contacted Malta Airport and Ryanair for comment.

In other travel news, here is the full list of 29 European countries being hit by new travel rules.

Plus, here are nine of the European airports where Brits are facing massive queues and missed flights due to new travel rules.

THE conflict in Iran has added as much as $100 (£77) per person to the price of long-haul flights from Europe, new figures have revealed.

The Transport & Environment (T&E) said in a statement that disruption to jet fuel supplies is likely to trigger higher ticket prices for passengers.

T&E added that the rise in jet fuel prices has increased the average fuel cost by £77 for each passenger on long-haul flights leaving Europe.

For a family of four heading on a long-haul holiday that’s an increase of £308.

For short-haul flights within Europe, they’ve increased by £25.26 per passenger – or more than £100 per family.

In the report, T&E then predicted that jet fuel for a flight from Barcelona to Berlin would be ⁠€26 (£22.64) more expensive per passenger.

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Long-haul journeys, for example Paris to New York could even cost €129 (£112.35) more in fuel.

Since the Iran conflict began and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, jet fuel prices have risen to well over $100 (£74) a barrel.

And there are fears that more turmoil is on the cards, as a temporary ceasefire ends tomorrow, with concerns the Middle Eastern conflict could spark back into life – as thousands of US troops are on standby to launch fresh attacks.

A second round of crunch peace talks are due to resume in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad shortly – but they have already been plagued by no show claims.

Iran has refused to confirm if it will attend even after the US delegation, led by JD Vance, prepared to board a jet for the Middle East.

Trump has already said it is “highly unlikely” the two-week ceasefire will be extended past the deadline especially if a permanent end to the fighting can’t be hashed out.

The impact of the rising costs of fuel have been felt everywhere from the petrol pumps to Brits’ summer holidays, as airlines have offset rising costs by increasing ticket fares and adding additional baggage fees.

For example, Virgin Atlantic has added a new fuel surcharge to tickets.

Passengers in economy will pay an extra £50, the Telegraph reported.

However, premium economy passengers will pay an extra £180 while anyone in business class will see flights cost an extra £360.

Air France and KLM, which are part of the same company, are also increasing ticket prices.

In total, Air France and KLM will have increased their round-trip fares by €100 (£87) on most of their long-haul flights.

It comes after the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe has just six weeks left of jet fuel.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said mass flight cancellations will begin “soon” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Airlines including United, Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa have already been forced to cancel hundreds of flights in recent weeks due to fears of shortages.

Birol’s deadline means airports could face critical fuel shortages by May, causing travel chaos for Brits heading abroad during the school May half-term holidays.

Despite the chaos, there are still great holiday deals to be made as Egypt tour operators have dropped prices of all-inclusive holidays with thousands in savings.

Sun Travel found some great deals including ones with loveholidays which starts from £239 per person for an all-inclusive holiday for a family of four.

A NEW airport has opened on the world’s largest island giving travellers direct access to an area dubbed the “Riviera of the North”.

The new hub is expected to boost tourism in one of the Arctic’s most remote regions.

Visitors can now travel by air to Qaqortoq in Greenland to visit an area famous for kayaking and whale-watching.

Anne Nivika Grødem, director of Visit Greenland, said: “South Greenland offers a rare combination of powerful nature and a living culture shaped over generations.

“Improved access allows us to welcome visitors with greater intention – encouraging travel with curiosity [and offering] more meaningful experiences for our guests.”

Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen travelled on the new airport’s first flight.

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While more than 30,000 passengers disembark from cruise ships at Qaqortoq every year, less than 2,000 tourists on average stay overnight each year.

Before the opening of the airport, travellers looking to visit Qaqortoq would have to travel two days on a ferry or arrive by helicopter.

The town is 300 miles from the capital, Nuuk.

Air Greenland is to operate two daily 75-minute direct flights between Nuuk and Qaqortoq year-round.

This is expected to rise 17 weekly services in summer, while Icelandair plans to run four weekly summer flights to and from Keflavík, starting from June 2.

In recent years, Greenland has been working to boost visitor numbers.

Earlier this year US President Donald Trump’s threats to invade Greenland resulted in a 46% increase in foreign guests – most of them Americans.

Getting some rest on a long-haul flight can be tough, but a flight attendant with 27 years’ experience shares her top sleep hacks – including how seat choice makes all the difference

The summer holidays are just around the corner, and if you’re among the millions of Britons preparing to jet off abroad, there’s one crucial detail you need to be aware of. For those fortunate enough to be taking long-haul flights, catching any shut-eye during the journey is often considered an impossible feat — but that’s not strictly accurate.

Sherry Peters, an international flight attendant with 27 years’ experience and founder of Atlas + Wild, has revealed her top tips for managing to sleep on flights — and much of it hinges on where you’re seated.

She said: “Seats near the galley or toilets are the absolute worst if you’re trying to sleep. There’s constant foot traffic, people queuing, lavatory doors slamming, and constant crew activity, it’s almost impossible to get uninterrupted rest.”

She advises securing a seat as far from this area as you can — and if possible, try to bag a window seat for a better shot at some proper rest, reports the Express.

She said: “Being next to the window gives you much more control over your environment, which is key to falling asleep.

“You can close the shade, lean against the wall for support, and avoid being elbowed by people passing in the aisle. It’s one of the closest things to a controlled sleep environment on a plane, even if you only have one or two hours, it makes a huge difference.”

Peters explained that many travellers mistakenly assume sleep will simply happen naturally — but when you’re squeezed into an economy seat, you need to actively work at getting yourself to drift off.

There are, however, a few techniques you can use to fool your brain into getting some rest.

She said: “Most people blame jet lag or the flight itself, but often it comes down to how to control your environment and if you are staying hydrated.

“I may not be able to control the time of day, but I can control noise and light by closing the window shades and using noise-cancelling headsets. I may not be able to control that I’m surrounded by 300 people who are wide awake, but I can control how much I get jostled. That’s how I trick my body into thinking it’s time to sleep, even mid-flight.”

Shutting the window blind the moment the plane takes off, paired with an eye mask and a neck pillow, can significantly reduce light and boost comfort.

Opting for a window seat allows you to lean against the side of the cabin for a more restful position, giving you the best chance of grabbing a few hours of much-needed kip.

Peters said: “Even if I only have one, two, or three hours, every minute matters. I use various strategies to maximise rest wherever I am, planes, trains and hotels.”

Europe is facing a severe jet fuel crisis due to the Middle East conflict, with International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warning the region has ‘maybe six weeks or so’ of jet fuel left and that flight cancellations could follow

Europe has just six weeks’ worth of jet fuel remaining due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, with major airlines grounding flights.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned that flight cancellations could follow “soon” if oil supplies continue to be restricted by the Iran war. Iran maintains a firm grip on tankers navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, with Mr Birol telling the Associated Press this is triggering “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced”.

He warned that Asian nations such as Japan, India and China, which depend heavily on Middle Eastern energy supplies, are on “the front line”, with the pressure set to “come to Europe and the Americas” shortly after.

Europe has just six weeks of fuel left, according to the IEA director. He added that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, the knock-on effect could mean “some of the flights from city A to city B might be canceled as a result of a lack of jet fuel”.

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Which airlines are cancelling flights?

A number of airlines have warned that they might have to cancel flights if the situation continues, but the number of those that have already done so is fewer.

Swedish flag carrier SAS has said it would cancel 1,000 flights in April because of high oil and jet fuel prices, after cancelling a “couple hundred” flights in March.

United Airlines said that five per cent of flights would be cancelled in the second and third quarters of 2026, while Dutch airline KLM has cancelled 160 flights for the coming month.

South Korean airline Asiana will slash 22 flights between April and July due to the fuel cost increase.

Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific will cut some flights from mid-May until the end of June, with about 2% of its scheduled passenger flights grounded. Its budget airline HK Express is cutting around 6% of flights.

German airline group Lufthansa said it would ground 27 planes servicing its short-haul CityLine subsidiary earlier than it had planned, blaming jet fuel prices.

Vietnam Airlines plans to cancel 23 flights per week across domestic routes from April.

Air New Zealand will be cutting back on flights over the next two months, it announced in March. It is expected that 1,100 flights will be impacted.

Norse Atlantic Airways has removed all flights to Los Angeles International Airport from its summer schedule, blaming the fuel shortage.

Although major airlines including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet have highlighted the potential impact of the fuel price rise on ticket costs and schedules, they are yet to cancel flights as a direct consequence.

However, BA is stopping its route from London Heathrow to Jeddah, although this is due to a shift in demand, according to the airline.

Last week, easyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis sought to reassure passengers, stating that all airports the airline serves are “operating as normal”.

He continued: “We only ever in this industry have three to four weeks’ visibility (of jet fuel supplies), and that is the same as it was pre-crisis. We have visibility to the middle of May, and we have no concerns. What we’re seeing is airports and fuel suppliers working well to bring jet fuel to the airports.”

EasyJet revealed the Middle East conflict set the airline back roughly £25 million in elevated jet fuel costs last month. The Luton-based carrier said it anticipates reporting a headline pre-tax loss of between £540 million and £560 million for the six months ending in March.

The conflict has created “near-term uncertainty around fuel costs and customer demand”, easyJet revealed.

Bookings have dropped by two percentage points for the three-month periods ending in both June and September when compared with the previous year.

The alert regarding larger-than-anticipated first half losses sent easyJet shares tumbling by as much as 9% during early Thursday trading, before stabilising around 4% down.

An example of the U.K. Royal Air Force’s most iconic fighter, the Spitfire, flew in a series of air-to-air formations around the United Kingdom over the last two weeks, part of the 90th anniversary celebrations for the aircraft, which became legendary on account of its service in World War II. The nine-leg flight around the United Kingdom was completed Friday.

The Spitfire in question, a two-seater, was painted blue to represent the first prototype, K5054. The original K5054 first flew on March 5, 1936, and was piloted by Capt. Joseph “Mutt” Summers. It took off from Eastleigh Aerodrome, now Southampton Airport.

Popular history records that Summers uttered the words “I don’t want anything touched” when he climbed down from the cockpit. If he did say those words, it was almost certainly an instruction to the ground crew to leave the plane as it was before he took it up for his next test sortie. But the legend stuck.

Regardless, so promising was the new fighter that the Air Ministry placed a production order less than three months later, with trials still incomplete.

Eventually, more than 20,000 production examples would be built, and the Spitfire would be considered among the best all-round fighters of World War II, in which it played a key role from start to finish. The Royal Air Force didn’t fly its last operational Spitfire sortie until 1954, in Malaya.

The blue Spitfire seen in the accompanying images is actually a Mk IX, BS410, which crashed in May 1943, was recovered and rebuilt in the 2000s, and was converted into a two-seater, allowing for a passenger. It is currently privately owned.

Starting on April 7, the K5054-lookalike Spitfire joined up in the air with a host of modern types.

For the first flight, the Royal Air Force’s most advanced fighter, the F-35B Lightning, flew in formation with the Spitfire. This came just a matter of weeks after British F-35Bs shot down their first enemy aircraft — hostile drones over Jordan, during the conflict in the Middle East.

The formation flight involved two frontline F-35Bs from RAF Marham and two preserved Spitfires.

The other Spitfire, a Mk Vb, AB910, also saw combat in World War II, including covering the D-Day landings in Normandy. It is now part of the storied Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF).

For the first leg of its flight, the K5054-lookalike Spitfire flew from its birthplace of Southampton Airport to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, still a major fighter hub.

While the Spitfire and F-35 could hardly be more different in terms of performance and technologies, both have served the Royal Air Force as its premier frontline fighter. Like its forebear, the F-35B is also now proven in aerial combat, albeit against drones.

On March 6 this year, the Royal Air Force announced that an F-35B pilot had carried out the aircraft’s first combat shootdown in British hands, intercepting and destroying two hostile drones during an operation over Jordan the same week.

“The pilot, flying alongside two Typhoons from RAF Akrotiri, detected the drones on radar and engaged them with two ASRAAM missiles,” the Royal Air Force said in its statement. The pilot, although assigned to No. 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, was serving with the Royal Navy, reflecting the joint nature of the U.K. F-35B force.

The incident followed a separate attack in which a small, low‑speed drone struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after evading base defenses, which were subsequently much enhanced.

Flight two, out of RAF Coningsby, on April 8, saw the Spitfire fly alongside Royal Air Force Red Arrows Hawks and a Phenom T1 trainer.

The Red Arrows flying alongside the Spitfire on Day 2 of the commemorative tour of GB. Two Hawks accompanied her for part of the flight from RAF Coningsby to Leuchars Station. (Photo: Darren Harbar) #Spitfire90 pic.twitter.com/Y4ioabXnoI

— Jane (@JaneFranklin99) April 8, 2026

The third flight, out of RAF Leuchars, on April 9, involved a Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

Flight four, on April 10, brought the Spitfire to Scotland, where it flew out of RAF Lossiemouth with a pair of Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters.

Remaining in Scotland, the fifth flight, on April 13, out of Prestwick Airport, teamed the Spitfire with a Royal Air Force Hawk T2 trainer.

Flight six, on April 14, out of RAF Valley, Wales, involved the Spitfire and two current Royal Air Force training types: a Texan T1 turboprop and a Jupiter HT1 helicopter.

Flight seven, on April 15, out of MOD St Athan, provided a formation with two QinetiQ Pilatus PC-21 trainers.

Flight eight, on April 16, out of MOD St Mawgan, involved a Royal Air Force A400M transport.

For the ninth and final flight, on April 17, the Spitfire departed Exeter Airport and met up alongside the BBMF’s Dakota as it flew back to Southampton Airport.

While not unique, the Royal Air Force doesn’t regularly pair current and historic fighters for displays in the way the U.S. Air Force does with its Heritage Flight. This puts together formations of modern jets flying with fighters from the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War eras, such as the P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabre.

This makes the series of Spitfire flights all the more special. On each of these flights, one lucky (and deep-pocketed) passenger was in the backseat of the Spitfire, having bid for the chance to do so. The money earned will go to support service-related charities.

For the rest of us, we can enjoy some of the spectacular imagery captured as this special Spitfire completed its countrywide odyssey.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

Holiday companies have predicted a surge in bookings for UK summer breaks after a jump in interest from Britons fearful of flight cancellations linked to the Iran war.

Summer bookings are expected to rise in the coming weeks amid warnings of possible jet fuel shortages and resulting cancellations by airlines across Europe.

Raoul Fraser, the chief executive of Lovat, a holiday park operator with sites across south-west England, said traffic to its website had increased after reports of jet fuel warnings last week. “It is definitely having a positive impact for us,” he said.

“Our holidays bookings are up over 30% this year. It is a little bit like Covid, when people couldn’t get away and now they just want the certainty of a nice holiday in the UK.”

The holiday resort company Butlin’s, which has sites at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness, said it was seeing “strong growth for the summer school holidays”.

However, its chief executive, Jon Hendry Pickup, said many families were still booking their holidays closer to the time, due to travel uncertainty and cost pressures.

“Normally we get somewhere in the region of 15% to 20% of people booking a holiday in the last four weeks before they come. Now it is roughly double that,” he said.

Jeremy Hipkiss, the managing director of the holiday parks company Landal UK, said: “Increasingly guests are choosing destinations closer to home that are easy to reach by car or public transport, giving them greater control over their plans.”

Hipkiss said that Landal’s parks in Cornwall, Scotland and Lincolnshire were “particularly popular”.

Peter Munk, the chief executive of Willerby, a specialist caravan manufacturer based in Hull, added that the cost of living pressure was also putting people off overseas travel. Inflation, which was steady at 3% in February, is expected to increase after the Iran war drove up global energy costs.

“It’s about the reality of inflation kicking off again,” he said. “Most people still want a holiday, so it might be that they have fewer days or move closer to home and not have that dream holiday.”

Travel spending fell in March for the first time since the pandemic travel restrictions lifted in 2021, dropping by 3.3%, according to data from Barclays. Spending on travel agents fell by 4.6%, airlines by 4.1%, and public transport by 2.9%.

However, Sinead O’Connor, a travel analyst at the research company Mintel, said even with the cost of living pressures, appetite for holidays remained strong.

She said its research showed 52% of Britons surveyed planned to holiday in the UK, with 49% heading overseas.

“We expect the value of the domestic holiday market to grow by about 7% this year, reaching close to £14bn and to outpace growth in overseas travel,” she said.

The overseas travel market is forecast to grow by 4.8% this year to £64.3bn, Mintel said.

Fears are rising that the oil crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East could lead to fuel shortages in Europe this summer.

This week, the head of the global energy body warned that Europe only has six weeks’ worth of jet fuel supplies before shortages will hit.

Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, said there would be flight cancellations if oil supplies were not restored within the coming weeks.

On Friday, the International Air Transport Association’s director general, Willie Walsh, said flights in Europe could be cancelled because of a lack of jet fuel starting from the end of May.

“Along with doing everything possible to secure alternative supply lines, it’s important that authorities have well-communicated and well-coordinated plans in place in case rationing becomes necessary, including for slot relief,” he added.

This month, Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, warned that Britain would be the most exposed to jet fuel shortages because it relies on Kuwait for about 25% of its supply.

Airlines around the world have already been forced to cancel some flights.

Last week, jet fuel averaged at $197.83 a barrel, according to the International Airport Transport Association, more than double the average last year.

Munk added that reports of delays at European border crossings, triggered by the EU’s new entry-exit system (EES), was also putting people off from booking overseas holidays this summer.

The airport industry has told the European Commission that the system, which requires people from the UK and other non-EU countries to submit biometric data before entering the bloc, was causing delays of up to three hours for passengers.

Last week, more than 100 passengers missed an easyJet flight from Milan to Manchester because of delays triggered by EES checks.

Save stress and time if your holiday is due to start in the early hours of the morning

People can start their holiday quicker than others when flying with Jet2 and taking advantage of a little-known service that lets families skip the queues. Planning this ahead of time can make early morning flights feel “a whole lot easier”.

On its website, Jet2 claims the Twilight Check-in service can be used by any passengers booked to fly on a service due to leave the airport before midday. Later flights in the afternoon or evening cannot benefit from this perk.

A spokesperson said: “Your morning flight is about to get a whole lot easier. With our free Twilight Check-in service, you can drop your bags off at your UK departure airport between 4.30pm and 9pm the evening before your morning flight.

“Thanks to Twilight Check-in, when you arrive at departures the next day, your luggage is already sorted. If you live near the airport or are staying at a nearby hotel, it’ll make your morning a little easier.”

Flights leaving before midday are extremely common at UK airports. People tend to opt for these early departures to make the most of their holiday time rather than leaving the UK later.

The following UK airports offer the free Jet2 Twilight Service:

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• East Midlands
• Edinburgh
• Glasgow International
• Leeds Bradford
• Liverpool
• London Gatwick
• London Luton
• London Stansted
• Manchester
• Newcastle

The process of pre-checking luggage the night before can save time and hassle on the morning of the trip. Jet2 claims that people don’t need to book this service specifically in advance, but people do need to check in online “no later than 24 hours before their flight”.

Some UK airports offer discounted or free limited-time parking to customers who use Twilight Check-in. The Jet2 website lists 10 that offer this for customers, but stresses that travellers should check for themselves using the Airport Information page on its website.

People who want to use this service will need to remember to bring their boarding passes and passports along with bags (excluding hand luggage). After completing everything, get some rest and, on the day of the flight, Jet2 claims people can simply “bypass check-in and head to security”.

It only takes one person from your group to check in and drop off bags for up to six people travelling on the same booking reference. For full details of how the free service works, click here.

The U.S. Air Force has begun test flights on an extremely lavish 747-8i Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) that Qatar donated to the U.S. last year for use by President Donald Trump. The jet, now dubbed VC-25B Bridge Aircraft, is set to serve in the Air Force One role while the White House awaits the extremely delayed delivery from Boeing of two fully-outfitted VC-25B Air Force One aircraft 

“I can confirm that the VC-25B Bridge Aircraft has begun flight test,” an Air Force spokesperson told The War Zone Friday afternoon. “We expect the aircraft will be delivered to the Presidential Airlift Group no later than summer 2026.”

Aviation Week was the first to report the news of the test flight.

The Air Force declined to provide additional information about the testing program, including when it began or how many flights have taken place. It also remains unclear when the 747-8i will conduct real VIP missions or if it will receive a new official designation. With questions swirling about the legality and ethics of a president receiving a gift plane, the Pentagon last May took delivery of the aircraft and said it would rapidly undertake the required modifications.

The jet, using the call sign VADER01, was spotted by flight trackers over Texas yesterday. It took off from Majors Field in Greenville, Texas, flew over Tulsa, Oklahoma, Amarillo and Abilene, Texas, before landing back at Majors Field. The airport is home to L3 Technologies, which is modifying the jet. The facility at Greenville is a hub for this exact kind of modification work on the Pentagon’s larger aircraft.

Video and photos taken by aviation photographers show that the aircraft was in a white base livery, though it will reportedly get Trump’s red, dark blue and white paint scheme. The aircraft was delivered from Qatar in its maroon, white and gray striped scheme originally.

Aviation photographer TT-33 operator was kind enough to share some images with us. The photos were captured as the aircraft was landing at Majors Field yesterday. You can see more of his work here.

The photos show remarkably few modifications to the VC-25B Bridge Aircraft’s communications system, which already had an extensive broadband satellite communications suite when Qatar handed it over. These additions include a handfuls of new aerials and what appear to be two UHF satcom ‘platter’ antennas.

As TWZ has previously noted, converting any aircraft into one that is secure and safe enough to transport the president is a complex undertaking. The aircraft needs to provide constant, secure communications, including what is needed to order a nuclear strike. Historically, it also needs to be physically hardened both inside and out to withstand myriad threats, from the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear weapon going off to incoming surface-to-air missiles to enemy intelligence-gathering efforts. To do this requires significant modifications right down to the aircraft’s outer structure.

In this case, it is likely impossible for the jet to receive EMP hardening and, at least based on the limited photos available, we cannot find any clear additions that would indicate the installation of an integrated self defense suite of any kind. The VC-25As are speckled with missile approach warning sensors and many laser countermeasures turrets (DIRCM). They also include the legacy Matador infrared countermeasure system above their jet engines and APU. This is in addition to other defensive features which are less visible and remain closely guarded secrets.

Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM)

At the very least, this aircraft will have to feature some kind of DIRCM setup to repel shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles, and modular units are available that can be attached in a canoe to the bottom of the aircraft. These systems, such as Elbit’s C-MUSIC or Northrop Grumman’s Guardian, are in service with foreign VVIP 747s, as well as commercial aircraft, including those flying for Israeli airline El Al. You can read all about these systems here. Still, while they offer far less defensive capacity compared to what is seen under the belly of a VC-25A, they would offer a significant layer of protection.

It’s also possible a more elaborate and fully integrated defensive system could be installed in the coming weeks, but it’s hard to imagine this would allow the jet to enter service this summer.

Adding a further layer of complexity to the procurement and fielding process of any new presidential airlift aircraft, there are tight controls around sourcing spares for aircraft with this mission, and specific rules about vetting individual parts to protect against espionage and sabotage. Clearly many practices and requirements had to be relaxed in order to rush this ‘bridge’ aircraft into service.

There are also questions about where this jet could actually fly operationally. Without a fully specialized design meeting all the requirements for the traditional Air Force One mission, it will likely be limited to domestic use or other very low threat areas. Given all that, and its reported conversion price tag approaching $400 million, there are legitimate questions about why it is needed at all.

As we noted earlier in this story, the flight test of this aircraft came as Boeing is far behind in the process of converting two other 747-8is originally built as commercial airliners into new fully customized VC-25B Air Force One aircraft. This led to the emergence of Trump’s idea of procuring an ‘interim’ Air Force One.

On Friday, the Air Force told us that it “is collaborating with Boeing to implement acceleration initiatives and expect the first delivery of the VC-25B in mid-2028.” If this is the case, then this ‘bridge’ aircraft will have served at most around two years until the first full-up VC-25B is delivered.

We have reached out to Boeing for additional details.

While it is not yet known when the ‘bridge’ VC-25B will actually transport the president, we know there is great pressure to get it doing exactly that from the White House. Judging by its configuration so far, whatever possible appears to have been done to make that happen.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

BRITS will soon be able to bag a bargain as easyJet is launching new flights to a sunny African destination for less than £37.

The budget airline will launch new flights to Morocco from the UK this winter.

The routes will include one from Newcastle to Marrakech starting November 3 and operating two times a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The flights for this route are already on sale and cost from £36.99.

And then there will also be a new route between Birmingham and Agadir, with flights coming on sale this spring.

In the meantime though, the two destinations will reach temperatures of up to 36C this week.

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Flights to Marrakech cost as little as £19 per way for the remainder of April, and for Agadir, flights cost as little as £15 per way for the remainder of April.

What to do there

Marrakech is known as the ‘Red City’ thanks to its iron-rich coloured buildings and is home to bustling souks and palaces.

For example, you could head to Bahia Palace, which is a 19th-century building with 160 rooms and beautiful mosaics.

Make sure to see the courtyard which spans across 1,500-square-metres and is paved with Italian Carrara marble.

Jemaa el-Fnaa is then the main square in the city and during the day boasts a market.

From the square, you can also venture to Souk Cherratine known for leather goods and Souk Haddadine, home to a number of blacksmiths.

If you fancy a bit of an adventure, head to Agafay Desert which is about 45 minutes away.

It is a top spot for seeing an orange-glowing sunset and going on quad-biking adventures.

When visiting the city, make sure to stay in a riad, which is a traditional courtyard house that has been converted into a boutique hotel in Morocco.

Lisa Minot, The Sun’s Head of Travel, has visited the city and said: “Tourism is booming in the city and while the streets are as colourful and chaotic as ever, the influx of visitors has brought some gorgeous new bars, restaurants and stunning hotels.”

Marrakech will reach temperatures of up to 35C next week.

On the other hand, if you fancy visiting Agadir, you can explore a six-mile beach.

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey said: “At Taghazout Beach, hordes of eager surfers took to the sea before I’d even finished my morning coffee.

“As a novice surfer, I opted to watch those riding the waves, while my companion made friends with the stray dogs and hawkers selling Moroccan breads.”

After a stroll along the beach, make sure to visit Souk El Had, which is one of North Africa’s largest markets with over 6,000 stalls.

And over at the Medina, you will find a number of artisan workshops selling traditional Moroccan items including colourful carpets and pottery.

Last month the destination was named the most affordable break for this summer.

According to loveholidays, a week in Agadir would cost as little as £33 per person per night between June and August.

Agadir will reach temperatures of up to 36C next week.

Easyjet will also offer package holidays to both destinations from both UK airports too.

News of the new routes comes as the airline officially launched a new permanent three-aircraft base in Marrakech this week.

It marks the airline’s first-ever base in Africa and has created 100 new jobs.

Kenton Jarvis, CEO of easyJet, commented: “We couldn’t be happier to launch our base in Morocco for our 20th year of operations in the country and to mark the milestone of 20 million passengers flown over that time.

“This is a milestone for our development in the region, providing more travel opportunities than ever before for our airline and holidays customers, while contributing to the local economy through tourism and the jobs we are creating.”

In other destination news, these are the most family-friendly destinations for 2026 – including affordable hotels with rooftop pools and kids’ clubs.

Plus, here are the seven holiday destinations Brits are booking instead of other spots due to ongoing Iran conflict.

Airlines could face ‘an existential crisis’ in just a few weeks’ time if the Strait of Hormuz crisis continues, an aviation expert has said, amid warnings that more flights could be cancelled

British tourists could face up to eight weeks of cancelled flights and airport chaos this summer as major airlines grapple with imminent fuel shortages, experts have warned.

European giants KLM and Lufthansa announced yesterday that they would be axing hundreds of flights due to the soaring cost of jet fuel – while Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned that European airports have only “six weeks or so” of supply left due to shortages caused by the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

The warnings have new sparked fears of disruption just before the busy summer holiday season, with airlines set to slash more routes and cut back on schedules if the crisis goes on.

READ MORE: EasyJet boss warns of summer price hike after £25million hit from jet fuel costsREAD MORE: KLM and Lufthansa CANCEL hundreds of flights as fuel cost soar amid Iran war

One aviation expert said that the period between now and mid-June could prove crucial, as airlines could face an “existential crisis” if the global oil shock has not by subsided by then.

Sally Gethin told the Daily Mail: “The worst case scenario is if this carries on for six to eight weeks and the shortages start really biting. This could pose an existential crisis to airlines – even if they slap on fuel surcharges they still won’t recoup the cost.

“You could be looking at tens of thousands, potentially hundreds of thousands, of flights being cancelled globally. It could affect holiday companies as well, although consumers will be protected if their trips are covered by ATOL.”

The Mirror has approached all of Britain’s largest airlines and airport operators to ask whether they are preparing contingency plans for jet fuel shortages. Simon Calder, a travel journalist, reassured holidaymakers today that Mr Birol’s warning was “a mile off” but accepted prices of foreign holidays are likely to rocket this summer. He told Channel 5’s Matt Allwright Show families should look at holidaying in the UK, such as at Bournemouth, instead.

On Thursday, easyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis said all the airports it serves are “operating as normal”.

He went on: “We only ever in this industry have three to four weeks visibility (of jet fuel supplies), and that is the same as it was pre-crisis.

“We have visibility to the middle of May, and we have no concerns.

“What we’re seeing is airports and fuel suppliers working well to bring jet fuel to the airports.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC yesterday that Britain has “no issues with supply at the moment” in jet fuel, diesel or petrol as she left a meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC.

The IMF this week urged countries to manage energy demand by adopting measures such as subsidising public transport and promoting remote work to combat a surge in energy costs caused by the conflict.

BRITS wishing to travel to a major American city have been dealt a blow as a budget airline announced it is grounding all flights to the destination.

Norse Atlantic is axing its flights from London Gatwick to Los Angeles.

The decision comes as the Iran War continues to impact fuel prices.

Norse only introduced the route between the UK and American city back in June 2023 and at that time operated seven flights per week from London Gatwick to Los Angeles.

The airline had planned to operate six flights per week for the peak summer months.

However, the flight route – due to start next month – will be cancelled for the entire season until October.

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And it isn’t just Brits that will impacted as the airline is also stopping its routes to Los Angeles from Rome in Italy and Paris Charles de Gaulle in France.

The announcement means that Norse will only have four long-haul routes this summer, including London Gatwick to New York and London Gatwick to Orlando.

According to Travel Gossip, a spokesperson said: “Due to the continued increase in fuel constraint risks, fuel prices, and the resulting impact on our operating costs, we have had to make the difficult decision to suspend our LAX operations this summer, May to October.

“All affected customers will be proactively notified by Norse Atlantic Airways today where contact details are available.

“We sincerely apologise, but as a consequence of this fuel crisis, it is our responsibility to ensure we make this decision to maintain a sustainable airline for our passengers and colleagues.”

The news follows a number of other airlines making decisions to axe flights and increase fare prices as a result of the ongoing fuel crisis caused by the Iran war.

Yesterday, KLM announced that they were axing 160 flights across Europe over the next month due to the fuel crisis.

These include services to and from London.

The cancellations will impact flights travelling to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

However, the airline has said that they currently do not have a shortage of jet fuel.

A KLM spokesperson said: “Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight.

“As these are destinations KLM serves multiple times a day, such as London and Düsseldorf, travellers can usually be accommodated quickly.

“KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.”

This week, Lufthansa also announced that its subsidiary airline CityLine is to cease operations due to both the Iran war and ongoing strike action.

The airline – which operates some flights to and from the UK including Frankfurt and Munich – will be grounding 27 aircraft from April 18.

Lufthansa’s main airline will be grounding four Airbus jets and two Boeing jets for good, by the end of the summer as well.

These planes are usually used for longer haul destinations.

The airline will reduce short and medium-haul flights by five aircraft from this winter too.

British Airways announced that it will be permanently cutting its route between London Heathrow and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from April 24.

And earlier this month, UK airline Skybus scrapped all future flights between London Gatwick and Newquay.

In other flight news, a closed UK airport has revealed the latest details about being able to reopen as part of huge £193million project.

Plus, a UK travel company has gone bust with all holidays cancelled – but Brits won’t get any refunds.

The global air travel crisis has spread further as Lufthansa and KLM became the latest airlines to announce flights axed to and from major destinations, including London Heathrow

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled by two major airlines amid warnings Europe has just a “few weeks” of jet fuel left.

Germany’s flag carrier airline Lufthansa is suspending its CityLine services from tomorrow, including flights to and from London, in response to rocketing kerosene costs and an ongoing trade union dispute. Netherlands’ KLM meanwhile confirmed it had cancelled 160 flights over the next month, as the industry grapples with an ‘unprecedented’ oil shock triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

It comes after the head of the world ’s energy watchdog has warned that Europe only has six weeks’ supply of jet fuel because of the Middle East conflict.

READ MORE: TUI update for passengers worried about risk of ‘fuel shortages’READ MORE: Jet2 issues Spain warning over four popular destinations

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned there could be flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain restricted by the war, with Iran and the US jostling for control for the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway.

Mr Birol said the conflict is causing “the largest energy crisis” the world has “ever faced”, with Asian nations such as Japan, India and China that rely on energy from the Middle East currently on “the front line”. But he warned that the impact would then “come to Europe and the Americas”, likely as soon as late May. Tourists are encouraged to continue to check before they travel.

Lufthansa’s CityLine services, which fly to a number of destinations across Europe including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Florence, Kraków, Stockholm and Copenhagen, will be cancelled from Saturday. Multiple daily services from Heathrow have already been pulled from the schedule.

A statement from Lufthansa last night said: “In view of significantly increased kerosene prices, which have more than doubled compared to the period before the Iran war, as well as rising additional burdens from labour disputes, the implementation of the corporate strategy is being partially accelerated.

“As a first, immediately effective step, starting the day after tomorrow, the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa Cityline will be permanently removed from the schedule to reduce further losses at the loss-making airline.”

Ongoing strikes by pilots and cabin crew belonging to German trade unions have already grounded approximately 90% of all Lufthansa Group flights on the worst days this week, with cancellations reported at Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Glasgow.

KLM announced “a number of adjustments to its flight schedule for the coming month” on routes which are “no longer financially viable to operate”. The Dutch airline said this was due “rising kerosene costs”, adding: “There is no kerosene shortage.”

Meanwhile, schedule data published by AeroRoutes this week showed that Norse Airlines has cancelled bookings for its planned Los Angeles flights this summer from London Gatwick, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Rome Fiumicino.

Jet prices have more than doubled since the beginning of the Iran war on February 28, causing the largest wave of cancellations at many major international airports since the Covid pandemic.

Long-haul flights are always an endurance test, but one airline aims to make it easier with comfy sleep pods that you can book for a few hours to sleep or just stretch out your legs

Long-haul holidays allow you to go on exotic adventures, but the trade off is that you spend hours cramped into a plane seat, desperately trying to adjust to the time zone at your destination.

If you’re feeling flush, you might consider an upgrade to business or first-class for access to lie flat beds, although that usually costs several times the price of an economy ticket, so for most of us it’s an option that’s out of reach.

But one airline has launched an option that costs far less than a cabin upgrade and can be enjoyed by economy and premium economy passengers as an add-on.

Air New Zealand passengers flying on ultra long-haul flights between New York and Auckland will be able to book a slot in Economy Skynest™ from May 18, and the service will be available on flights from November this year. Billed as “the world’s first sleep pods in the sky”, Skynest will feature six individual lie-flat nests which can be booked for four-hour slots during the journey.

Given that the flight time on this route is up to 18 hours, making it one of the world’s longest flights, spending some time in the pods could give passengers some much needed respite from their economy class seat. The pods will be in a separate area of the cabin with a privacy curtain, and each pod is around six foot six inches in height, so even tall passengers can stretch out.

Each passenger who books the a pod gets a free amenity kit including an eye mask and ear plugs, and the bed linens are refreshed between passengers to ensure a clean space. Each pod has a seatbelt, so you won’t be woken up if the seatbelt sign comes on, and there’s a USB charging outlet and small light if you want to read or scroll through your phone.

A session in Skynest will cost from $495 New Zealand Dollars, around £215, making it a pricey upgrade but still cheaper than flying in a premium cabin.

READ MORE: Two more major airlines forced to increase flight prices by £86 due to fuel crisisREAD MORE: 5 travel changes Brits should be aware of before summer

Skynest isn’t the first upgrade Air New Zealand has offered to its economy passengers. In 2011, it launched Skycouch, an option for economy class passengers to reserve an entire row that converts into a lie-flat bed, allowing for extra comfort on long trips. These seats have a pull out footrest so the bed is wider than a standard airplane seat.

The Skycouch option is available to passengers on selected routes who fly onboard its Boeing 777-300ER or 787-9 aircraft. The cost depends on the route and availability, although reportedly the upgrade ranges from NZ$525 to $1,500 per row (about £228 to £652). United Airlines is set to launch a similar product in 2027 with Relax Rows, while Lufthansa already offers the option of a Sleeper Row on flights over 11 hours.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

OFFICIALS have warned that there is just weeks of jet fuel supplies left before airlines start running out.

Earlier this week, the head of the International Energy Agency warned that vital supplies remain blocked by conflict in Iran – as a result, many airlines have already started axing routes.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is holding up major supply chains which has led to a huge hike in fuel costs – and shortages.

ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said the key trade route must open within three weeks or fuel reserves will run drastically low.

In response, a number of major airlines have been cancelling flights in preparation for shortages – with thousands affected.

Here are the major eight airlines that have already cut back on their routes…

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United Airlines

United Airlines said that five per cent of flights would be cancelled in the second and third quarters of 2026.

With up to 5,000 flights a month – working out to around 4,000 domestic and 800 international routes – this means it affects around 250 flights a month.

United Airlines has the world’s largest airline fleet with more than 1,075 aircraft.

Scandinavian Airlines

SAS was the first major airline in Europe to axe flights because of of the cost of fuel going up.

It said in mid-March that it would cancel 1,000 flights throughout April.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa‘s subsidiary airline CityLine is to cease operations due to both the Iran crisis and ongoing strike action.

The division ran business flights between European airports but will ground its entire fleet of 27 aircraft. 

Flight routes typically connected London to Frankfurt and Munich.

It will also cut six planes from its international fleet after the summer holiday season, warning that the cutbacks could last into winter.

KLM

Dutch airline KLM has cancelled 160 flights for the coming month, but has said it will affect less than 1 per cent of its schedule

The airline insists there is no shortage of jet fuel, saying the move is purely down to spiralling costs.

A KLM spokesperson said: “Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight.

“KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.”

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific has confirmed that two per cent of passenger flights will be cancelled from May 16 to June 30.

This will affect a number of regional routes, as well as longer-haul connections to destinations across Australia and South Asia.

Its budget airline HK Express is set to cut six per cent of flights due to increased costs.

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand announced in March that it will be cutting back on flights over the next two months.

Chief Executive of Air New Zealand Nikhil Ravishankar said the airline would see roughly a five per cent reduction in its services which would continue until the beginning of May 2026.

This reduction equates to around 1,100 flights which in turn will affect 44,000 passengers out of its 1.9million.

Norse

Norse Atlantic Airways has removed all flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from its summer schedule.

A spokesperson said: “Due to the continued increase in fuel constraint risks, fuel prices, and the resulting impact on our operating costs, we have had to make the difficult decision to suspend our LAX operations this summer, May to October.”

Norse operated a summer route from London Gatwick to LA.

British Airways

British Airways will drop its service from London Heathrow to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia permanently from April 24, 2026.

The airline had been operating a four flights a week service since November 2024.

BA said the terminating of the service was due to a shift in demand rather than fuel costs as hasn’t axed any flights because of that so far.

Virgin Airways

Virgin Atlantic announced earlier this month that it would be permanently scrapping its London flight to Riyadh from April 7, 2026.

It said some of the reasons were the “evolving situation in the Middle East” and “operating costs.”

Here’s why you should book your summer holiday now – easyJet boss says.

And here are the European holiday destinations Brits are flocking to instead of Turkey and Egypt due to Iran crisis.

RISING fuel costs linked to the war in Iran have forced a major airline to slash more than 100 flights – including services to and from London.

Dutch company KLM is axing 160 flights across Europe over the next month as soaring fuel prices pile pressure on the industry ahead of the busy summer period.

The cuts will hit routes in and out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, with departures and arrivals split evenly .

Despite the disruption, the airline insists there is no shortage of jet fuel, saying the move is purely down to spiralling costs.

A KLM spokesperson said: “Passengers affected by these changes will be rebooked onto the next available flight.

“As these are destinations KLM serves multiple times a day, such as London and Düsseldorf, travellers can usually be accommodated quickly.

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“KLM expects a busy May holiday period and is making sure passengers can travel to their holiday destinations as planned.”

KLM’s flight cancellations comes after the head of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol said mass flight cancellations will begin “soon” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

“In the past there was a group called ‘Dire Straits.’ It’s a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy”, Birol told AP.

Adding: “And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world.”

Birol’s deadline means airports could face critical fuel shortages by May, causing travel chaos for Brits heading abroad during the school May half-term holidays.

Oil prices have soared since the start of March after Iran closed off the Strait in response to US-Israeli forces bombing.

The Persian Gulf chokehold sees around 40 per cent of the world’s jet fuel supply pass through.

It comes after ACI Europe, which represents European airports, said the key trade route must open within three weeks or fuel reserves will run drastically low on Friday.

A number of airports in Italy have already warned that they were running out of fuel.

According to local reports earlier this week, Brindisi-Casale Airport confirmed that Jet A1 fuel was not available for a short period of time.

And British Airways has announced it will permanently axe its service from London Heathrow to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from April 24.

The airline had been operating a four flights a week service since November 2024.

But a shift in demand, due to the conflict in the Middle East, has led to the airline terminating the service.

KLM stressed the cancellations make up just one per cent of its European schedule.

But the move will still spark concern for Brits planning trips abroad as airlines battle rising operating costs.

It comes as carriers across Europe scramble to balance the books amid the fuel crisis.

Earlier this month, UK airline Skybus pulled the plug on all future flights between London Gatwick and Newquay.

The route, which launched in November 2025, had been backed by Cornwall Council and the Department for Transport under a public service scheme due to run until the end of May.

However, a slump in passenger numbers combined with higher fuel costs forced the airline to ground the service early, with its final flights taking off on April 2.

The latest cuts raise fresh fears of further disruption for holidaymakers as the peak summer season approaches.

Meanwhile other vital UK services could also face shortages if a deal to end the Middle East war is not struck soon.

Medicines UK, which represents companies making 85 per cent of NHS prescriptions, said NHS patients could face prescription shortages within weeks.

This could place “significant pressure for the NHS as early as June”, the organisation warned.

And Brits could even face shortages of supermarket staples such as beer and meat as officials fear the blockade of the Strait could cut vital carbon dioxide supplies.

CO2 is used in food packaging to improve the shelf life of salad, packaged meats and baked goods – and also slaughtering nearly all pigs and most chickens.

Tim Lang, professor of food policy at the University of London, who has been a member of several government bodies including the UK Council of Food Policy Advisors, told The Sun that the UK has “next to no food storage”.

A NUMBER of popular holiday destinations in Spain are losing their Ryanair flights this year.

The budget airline confirmed last year they would be cutting 1.2million seats across the country,

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

The cancellations are due to the increase in airport fees, which would mean airlines paying an extra 21 per cent from 2027 to 2031.

An initial increase of 6.44 per cent has already been introduced back in March.

At the time of the announcement, the CEO of Ryanair, Eddie Wilson said: “Next winter we will make further cuts to regional airport services and I remind you that our total traffic in Spain for this summer will only grow by 0.5 per cent compared to 9 per cent in Italy, 11 per cent in Morocco or 20 per cent in Poland.

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“Aena’s proposal to increase fares by 21 per cent is regrettable, but not surprising, as this airport monopoly has a history of applying the highest fares at the expense of traffic development, especially at Spain’s regional airports, which are 70 per cent empty.”

He also commented that if the fees were increased it would “make even the most popular airports in Spain uncompetitive” and that Ryanair would turn to “other places in Europe where rates are more competitive”.

Here are some of the destinations being affected.

Asturias

All Ryanair flights to the coastal region of Asturias in north Spain have been stopped.

If you do want to head to Asturias though, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling all fly to the airport from the UK.

Vigo

All flights to the port city of Vigo in northwest Spain were suspended on January 1.

Routes cancelled include from London Stansted Airport.

There are currently no direct flights from the UK with other airlines to Vigo – instead, you would have to book a flight to Madrid then to Vigo.

Alternatively, Porto Airport is less than two hours away.

Tenerife North

All Ryanair flights to Tenerife North were stopped over the winter.

This included a route from London Stansted Airport.

If travellers want to head to Tenerife now, their best bet is to fly to Tenerife South, which Ryanair flies to from a number of UK airports including London Stansted, Bristol and Birmingham.

Valladolid

All flights to Valladolid in northwest Spain have been scrapped with the airline’s base closed at the airport since winter 2024.

If you wish to travel to Valladolid, the best way would be to fly to Madrid which is under two hours away.

Jerez

Ryanair has cancelled all of its direct flights to Jerez in the Andalusia region.

However, if you still want to fly to the destination, you can do so from the UK with Jet2.

Jet2 offers flights to Jerez from Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted and Manchester.

Alternatively, you could fly to Seville and then hop on a train that takes less than an hour to Jerez.

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela Airport in the Galicia region will no longer have a Ryanair base, which will mean fewer flights to the destination.

While the budget airline does still operate flights to and from the airport, Sun Travel found that these are mainly to destinations within Spain.

There are a number of other airlines that fly to the airport though, including British Airways, Vueling and Iberia.

Santander

Ryanair is set to reduce its capacity from Santander, known for its stunning views of the Bay of Biscay, by 38 per cent.

But the airline is still operating UK flights to the airport, including from Manchester, Birmingham and London Stansted – just a reduced number.

Zaragoza

The airline is also reducing flights from Zaragoza – the capital of Aragon in northeastern Spain – by 45 per cent.

While the airline does still fly to the airport, it is mainly from destinations outside the UK such as Milan in Italy.

Sun Travel found one route from the UK to the airport, which is from London Stansted.

Vitoria

There will be a slight reduction in Ryanair capacity to Vitoria (two per cent), which is the capital of the Basque region.

Despite this, Sun Travel found no routes from the UK to the Spanish airport with that airline.

If you want to head to Vitoria, your best bet is to fly to Bilbao Airport which is about an hour-and-a-half away.

Girona

Routes from Girona in Catalonia are also set to be reduced by 11 per cent over this summer season, according to Euro News.

Sun Travel found that there are currently still flights from UK airports including London Stansted, Bournemouth and Birmingham to the airport.

In other flight news, British travel misery is set to get worse as European flight cancellations stretch to five days.

Plus, two major airlines are set to hike flights by up to £90 due to rising jet fuel prices.

Further strike action has been announced across one of Europe’s biggest airline groups, with Lufthansa flight cancellations expected to also impact British passengers

Fresh disruption is looming for British travellers as a new wave of pilot strikes hits one of Europe’s biggest airline groups.

Holiday plans have already been thrown into chaos this week after a two-day walkout at Lufthansa forced hundreds of cancellations across Europe, with several UK airports caught in the fallout.

Now, the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has confirmed further strike action across the airline and its subsidiaries – including Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine and Eurowings.

The walkout is due to begin at 12:01am on April 16 and run until 11:59pm on April 17, with departures from German airports set to bear the brunt – routes to the UK look set to be hit.

The union said flights to several Middle Eastern countries would be exempt due to ongoing tensions in the region, including routes to Egypt, Israel and the UAE.

The message read: “Due to the current situation in the Middle East, flights operated by Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Lufthansa CityLine from Germany to the following destinations remain exempt from the strike: Azerbaijan, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates”.

Union president Andreas Pinheiro warned the dispute had come to a standstill. “The situation is deadlocked,” he said, adding there has been “absolutely no movement” from employers on pensions or pay agreements across the group’s airlines.

“Neither Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo have made an offer regarding company pension schemes, nor has Lufthansa CityLine made a viable offer for a new collective bargaining agreement on remuneration, nor has Eurowings made any offer regarding company pension schemes,” Pinheiro said. “We are not concerned with power struggles or egoism, but with sustainable solutions”.

A message on the VC’s website read: “Should the employers accept the mediation proposal, the Cockpit Association will promptly submit suggestions for a suitable mediator.”

The row has seen more than 1,000 flights cancelled so far, with more than 4,500 UK passengers caught up in the disruption.

Multiple flights travelling to Frankfurt or Munich from London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh were scrapped today. Lufthansa said only around one-third of their short-haul schedule will be running as normal, while half of its long-haul flights will be cancelled.

Eurowings – which has seen 570 flight cancellations at Frankfurt Airport affecting more than 50,000 travellers – will operate 60 per cent of its schedule.

The strike has seen around 720 flight cancellations at Munich Airport over the last two days.