Leeds Bradford Airport Ltd.

EasyJet announced this week that it will axe all its flights from Leeds Bradford Airport early next year – routes cut include Paris, Barcelona and Malaga

Ryanair is offering bargain rescue flights after a rival axed flights at a busy UK airport.

EasyJet announced this week that it will axe all its flights from Leeds Bradford Airport early next year. The last easyJet flight from the hub will be on from January 5, 2027. Routes cut include Paris, Barcelona and Malaga.

Ryanair has launched “rescue fares” for £29.99 following easyJet’s flight cancellations at the airport.

From Friday, August 21, Ryanair flights between Leeds Bradford and Malaga in Spain, will be £29.99.

Ryanair currently operates 10 weekly flights between Leeds and the Spanish tourist spot.

Travellers can book the rescue fares until the end of February 2027.

“While easyJet abandons Leeds Bradford, cutting its full schedule from 5 Jan 2027, Ryanair is saving the day with rescue fares from just £29.99 for affected passengers – particularly those booked to fly easyJet from Leeds Bradford to Malaga, who can now switch to one of Ryanair’s 10 Malaga services per week,” Ryanair’s Director of Comms, Jade Kirwan, said.

When easyJet made the announcement, a spokesperson said: “Following a review of our routes from Leeds Bradford Airport, we have made the decision to no longer operate flights from the airport after 5 January.

“Our focus is on maintaining and developing routes which prove most popular with customers.

“We value the relationship we have built with Leeds Bradford Airport and we always keep options for our network under review, with the aim of providing more choice and connectivity where we see demand.”

Haylet Waters says her daughter was only ill because it was 30C in the airport and their flight had been delayed

A family was left stranded on a Greek island after Jet2 refused to let them fly home because their six-year-old daughter was sick in the departure lounge. Hayley Waters, 37, was waiting at Rhodes Airport with husband Jason, 40, and kids Addyson, six, and Xander, three, when the youngster vomited at the gate.

She said staff immediately barred the family from boarding their delayed flight to Leeds Bradford Airport shortly after midnight. They were told they could not travel with Jet2 for at least 24 hours and would have to arrange their own accommodation, transport and alternative flights – which cost them around £1,000.

Hayley, a performance analyst from Leeds, West Yorks., said: “While waiting at the gate, my six-year-old daughter was sick once. I cleaned it up immediately. She’d had no illness all holiday – she was simply exhausted after the delay, it was around midnight, and over 30C in the airport.”

The family had been due to catch the 11.15pm flight on July 31, which eventually departed at around 12.05am. They were travelling as part of a larger group of nine when a member of Jet2 staff spotted Addyson being sick.

But Hayley said nobody assessed her daughter or asked whether she had been ill during the holiday before the family was stopped from boarding. She said: “The only explanation given was ‘policy’ because my daughter had been sick.

“Nobody asked whether she had any underlying medical conditions, whether she’d been unwell during the holiday, or how she was feeling. No medical assessment was carried out – the decision was based solely on a member of staff seeing her vomit once.”

The family were forced to book an easyJet flight to Newcastle for the following day to get home. Hayley said: “We have no written explanation for why we were denied boarding, no paperwork, no medical assessment, no duty of care, and we were left stranded abroad with two young children.”

Jet2 said its team in Rhodes had followed procedures and helped the family find somewhere to stay. The airline said staff also advised them to retain their receipts so they could make a claim through their travel insurance.

A Jet2 spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our absolute priority, and our teams have processes in place to help prevent the spread of illness onboard our aircraft. We are sorry to hear that Mrs Waters was unhappy with her experience and we are in contact with her to discuss the matter further.”

However, Hayley has disputed the airline’s claim that it had been in contact with her. The airline said it had promised a response within 14 days, by August 20, and remained on track to provide one.

Hayley said the family have not had acknowledgement that their written complaint has been received – and that they have not been told about the timescales Jet2 are working to.

The advice is to check with your travel provider for the latest information

Families heading abroad on their summer holidays are urged to keep a close eye on travel updates. The Foreign Office has published fresh travel guidance for a popular sunny EU destination. The latest advice urges travellers to “check with your travel provider” for the latest information in light of a “national emergency”.

This comes as many flights were disrupted recently to the south of Italy, after eruptions from Mount Etna caused clouds of ash to be thrown into the air. The Foreign Office has since updated its guidance for Italy on Tuesday, August 11, with new information regarding ‘Volcanoes’ in the ‘Safety and security’ section. The latest guidance informs visitors: “There are several active volcanoes in southern Italy. National emergency planning is in place for the Phlegraean fields, an area that remains active experiencing regular tremors.”

People heading to the Mediterranean country are warned that “airspace can be affected during eruptions”. The Phlegraean fields (Campi Flegrei) is an area just west of Naples and so is close to Naples Airport.

‘Heightened activity’

The guidance includes a word of warning for another airport in the region. You may need to take action ahead of your trip: “If you are travelling to or from Catania, during a period of heightened activity, check with your travel provider or with Catania airport.”

The Government body also advises: “Read what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption and follow the instructions of the local authorities.” The guidance includes a link to more information on the Civil Protection Department website of the Italian Government.

This information reminds visitors that Italy has “the greatest concentration of active volcanoes in Europe” along with Iceland. The guidance sets out that there is a “varying degree of hazard” for these volcanoes.

‘Wrong information’

People trying to find the latest guidance in the media are warned that “wrong information” can be sent out in times of crisis. The guidance urges: “For this reason it is important to follow the civil protection authorities’ instructions transmitted by radio, TV, in the daily press, on Internet and by the various toll-free numbers that will be set up.

“During eruptions, it is also important not heed the forbidden to enter signs at the areas involved by the eruption. It is dangerous to approach the crater area even if there is no eruptive activity as sudden explosive phenomena or gas emissions are always possible.”

You can read the full travel guidance for Italy on the Foreign Office website.

People should check their specific airport before travelling this summer

Airports in the UK have slightly different rules that could catch some travellers out this summer if they do not check them before packing. Certain airports have been upgraded to help relax a major security rule, while others have yet to make any changes.

The 100ml liquid-limit security rule means passengers can only bring liquids in containers of 100ml or less in hand luggage. The rule was put in place back in 2006 when police foiled a major terrorist plot, which prevented a group that planned to smuggle liquid explosives on board a flight leaving London that was bound for North America.

At the time, standard airport security X-ray machines were designed to detect metal weapons (such as guns and knives) and solid explosives, with no way to distinguish between a simple bottle of water and volatile liquids. For years, the rule has remained in place for the vast majority of airports.

But in 2022, the Government confirmed plans to relax the rules. As technology has advanced, some airports are relaxing the rules in 2026.

Certain UK airports featuring new 3D security scanners now allow passengers to carry liquids, gels, and aerosols in individual containers that can hold up to two litres (2000ml). These airports allow you to leave liquids in your hand luggage without needing clear plastic bags.

As of July 15, 2026, the following airports have fully upgraded their systems to include new scanners that officially allow passengers to carry liquids in containers up to two litres in their hand luggage:

• London Heathrow (All Terminals)
• London Gatwick
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Edinburgh
• Belfast International
• Belfast City
• Teesside International

Even at these hubs, reusable metal, insulated, or double-walled vacuum bottles must be empty when passing through security. ^{You can refill them once you are inside the departure lounge.}

Every other UK airport has yet to follow suit with the change, and still follows the commonly known limit of 100ml. But even with the same cap on liquids, certain airports have different ways of letting items through security.

For example. certain airports remain the same as last summer, where passengers need to use 100ml containers and place them in a clear, resealable plastic bag for scanning. These airports include:

• London Stansted
• London Luton
• Glasgow International
• East Midlands
• Liverpool John Lennon
• Cardiff

But, certain airports have relaxed the rules slightly. Although the strict limit on the amount of liquids is still in place, passengers can keep their liquids and electronics inside their bags for processing at these airports:

• London City
• Manchester
• Newcastle
• Leeds Bradford
• Aberdeen
• Southend

Why aren’t all airports changing at once?

The UK Government’s original goal was a blanket lifting of the 100ml rule, but issues arose, meaning the change had to be implemented gradually. To prevent massive security bottlenecks during the peak summer rush, the Department of Transport has largely frozen rule changes at airports that haven’t yet reached 100% compliance.

Major remaining hubs, such as Stansted, Luton, and Manchester, are continually updating their lanes behind the scenes. Gradual transitions to the “in-bag” rules are expected to resume late autumn/winter 2026 as travel volume drops.

People have been reminded to think before they start maxxing out their luggage limit, as their return journey could be what catches them out. Even if you fly out of a 2L-friendly airport like Heathrow, most international destinations still enforce the strict 100ml rule, so if you buy full-sized toiletries in the UK, you may have to check them into hold luggage on the way back or throw any leftovers away before coming home.

It might seem harmless at first glance, but it could lead to unnecessary delays

Packing for a holiday can feel like navigating a minefield, with a long list of rules on what can and can’t go in your luggage. While some banned items are obvious, others seem completely innocent at first glance – yet bringing them to the airport could still result in officials delaying your journey.

There is one everyday item that is allowed by all major airlines, including Ryanair, Jet2, TUI, easyJet and British Airways, but could still attract attention during security screening if officers are unable to identify it clearly on the scanner. To avoid unnecessary delays or having to unpack your luggage at the checkpoint, travellers are advised to pack toiletries in a way that makes them easy to inspect.

A simple bar of soap – buyable at Sainsbury’s for 35p, for example – might seem like one of the most harmless items you could take on holiday. However, it is not the soap itself that can cause concern – it is the way a solid item may appear when passing through security scanners.

Airport security staff do not routinely search luggage simply because it contains a bar of soap. However, dense items can sometimes make X-ray images harder to interpret, particularly when they are packed alongside electronics, cables or other bulky belongings. If officers cannot clearly identify an item, they may carry out additional checks before allowing passengers through.

The government information website GOV.UK says: “Airport security staff will not let anything through that they consider dangerous – even if it’s normally allowed in hand luggage.” While soap clearly is not dangerous, if a bar of soap raises an alert on the scanner, they are legally required to stop the passenger and inspect it.

The US Transport Security Agency (TSA), for instance, says passengers are often asked to separate dense items because they can “clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine.” When a solid block of soap, cheese, or other dense organic material blocks the scanner’s view or mimics a threat signature, protocol requires a physical bag search or chemical swab testing to clear the item.

According to GOV.UK, solid bars of soap are permitted in both hand luggage and checked baggage. Security officers can still manually inspect any item they are unable to identify clearly during the screening process, regardless of whether it is allowed.

To reduce the chances of your bag being opened, experts recommend keeping dense items easy to access and, if requested, placing them in a separate tray during screening. Avoid storing them inside thick metal tins or rigid plastic cases alongside items such as power banks, charging cables and other electronics, as this can make X-ray images harder to interpret.

It’s also important not to confuse solid soap with liquid toiletries. While bars of soap are exempt from liquid restrictions, liquid soaps, shower gels and similar products carried in hand luggage must normally be in containers holding no more than 100ml, unless you’re travelling through an airport that has introduced next-generation security scanners permitting larger liquids.

The rules apply regardless of which airline you’re flying with, as baggage screening is carried out by the airport rather than carriers such as Ryanair, Jet2, TUI, easyJet or British Airways. A manual inspection is simply a precaution and does not mean you’ve broken any rules or packed a prohibited item.

Taking a few moments to think about how you pack everyday toiletries could help make your journey through security a little smoother. Although a 35p bar of soap is perfectly legal to travel with, storing it sensibly could help avoid unnecessary delays before your holiday even begins.

We’ve all got used to packing tiny shampoos and shower gels into our hand luggage when we fly, but new technology means some major airports are scrapping the 100ml rule making going through security so much easier

It’s hard to believe that the airline liquid rules have been in place for nearly two decades. Since a terror plot was foiled in 2006, air passengers in the UK have been limited to taking containers of under 100ml on planes, and made to keep them in a clear, resealable 20cm x 20cm plastic bag.

Over the years, technology has improved, meaning restrictions have slowly been eased. In many airports, you no longer need to use a clear plastic bag for your liquids and can simply leave them in your hand luggage. However, in the majority of airports, the 100ml rule still stands all these years later.

A small number of airports have now scrapped the 100ml rule – allowing Brits to fly out with liquids in containers of up to two litres in volume. This means most standard-sized bottles of water, creams, gels, sprays, and aerosols can be taken through as hand luggage.

Whatever the allowed liquid size at your departure airport, holidaymakers should make sure they avoid using metal or double-walled bottles, such as a Thermos flask, when they carry liquids on board, as the scanners cannot penetrate the insulated layers.

Another thing travellers should keep in mind is that the rules at their return airport might be different. The vast majority of European airports still enforce the 100ml rule. So while you may be able to take a big bottle of suncream in your hand luggage going out, you may need to put it in your checked luggage coming back.

The GOV.UK website has a list of items considered liquids. Many travellers still get caught out by the 100ml rule as they don’t realise items such as semi-liquid foods such as soup, jam, honey, or syrups need to be within the restricted size.

Nut butters and soft cheeses also come under the category of liquids. In the USA, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) use a rule that: if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it, or pour it, it counts as a liquid. While this isn’t an official rule in the UK, it’s a good way to determine whether an item you’re taking onboard is going to need to follow liquid size rules.

Liquid rules at airports can be updated with little notice, so always check your departure airport’s official website before you fly.

Full list of airports still enforcing the 100ml rule

• Manchester Airport (MAN)
• London Stansted (STN)
• London Luton (LTN)
• Glasgow Airport (GLA)
• Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK)
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL)
• Newcastle International Airport (NCL)
• Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA)
• East Midlands Airport (EMA)
• London City Airport (LCY)
• Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ)
• Jersey Airport (JER)
• Cardiff International Airport (CWL)
• Southampton Airport (SOU)
• Inverness Airport (INV)
• Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY)

Full list of airports that have scrapped 100ml rule

• London Heathrow (LHR)
• London Gatwick (LGW)
• Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
• Birmingham Airport (BHX)
• Bristol Airport (BRS)
• Belfast International Airport (BFS)
• George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD)
• Bournemouth Airport (BOH)

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The tour operator will offer both standalone flights and package holidays to the sunny destination, which offers both beautiful beaches plus lots of cultural and historic attractions

Jet2 has announced it’s launching flights and holidays to Tunisia for summer 2027, with the airline opening bookings for holidaymakers looking to get away from May 1 to October 31 next year.

The tour operator will offer new flights from Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, and Manchester. Customers who book a package holiday will be able to choose from a range of 3 to 5-star hotels situated in the resorts of Port el Kantaoui, Skanes, Mahdia, Sousse, Yasmine Hammamet, and Hammamet.

All flights will arrive in Enfidha–Hammamet International Airport in the north of the country, close to the capital of Tunis and some of Tunisia’s most popular resorts.

Jet2’s new flight schedule will offer twice-weekly flights on Wednesday and Saturday from Birmingham and London-Stansted, plus two flights a week covering Manchester on Tuesday and Friday. East Midlands and Leeds Bradford airports will get weekly flights.

Once you arrive, there are lots of places to explore, from the vast Medina of Hammamet to the palm-tree lined seaside of Sousse. Take a day trip to the Roman Amphitheatre of El Jem, full of incredible stories about the wild animals caged in its dungeons and its gladiator battles, where 30,000 spectators once cheered on its bloody spectacles.

Further south, you can discover desert landscapes and shimmering salt flats. Explore the filming locations for the original Star Wars trilogy, and visit traditional Berber cave homes carved deep into the mountains.

Visit Tunis for the day and explore the labyrinth of market stalls, mosques, and houses all found in one concentrated, slightly chaotic space. Dating back to 698, this colourful medina is now home to one-tenth of the city’s population. But if you enter, be sure to watch out for landmarks, as it’s easy to get lost within its walls.

You can also visit the Bardo National Museum, home to the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world, and artefacts found in the city of Carthage from the days when Tunisia was a major trading hub for the Ancient Mediterranean.

This announcement brings the total number of Jet2 destinations for summer 2027 to 70, and the tour operator has recently announced new services to Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, as well as Kavala in the north of Greece.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2, said: “With year-round sunshine, rich culture and fantastic sunshine, Tunisia has something for everyone and we know how immensely popular it will be.”

Fakhri Khalsi, acting UK Director at the Tunisian National Tourist Office, said: “We are delighted to welcome the launch of Jet2’s holiday and flight programmes to Tunisia starting in summer 2027. This announcement represents a significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen Tunisia’s position as a leading Mediterranean destination and reflects the growing confidence of major travel operators in our tourism offering.”

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An analysis of Google Reviews has shown which UK airports have the most cleanliness complaints — and the top spot may surprise you.

Airports are set to be busier than ever over the coming months as numbers of Brits prepare for their summer getaways. With greater numbers passing through the terminal, airports can become rather grubby in no time.

However, a fresh study has examined which UK airports have received the highest number of complaints regarding cleanliness. Private Tours England analysed Google Reviews of 50 UK airports and tallied how frequently travellers mentioned the word “dirty” in their feedback.

The rankings are determined by the proportion of total reviews featuring the term.

Remarkably, Leeds Bradford Airport came out as the dirtiest in the UK. In total, 2.46% of all its reviews include the word when describing their time at the terminal.

Leeds Bradford Airport operates flights to numerous destinations including Austria, Hungary, Romania, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Italy.

The airport itself holds a 3.2 Google rating, with one reviewer noting: “The airport is currently being renovated.

“However, there are very few seats, toilets are super dirty, and the WiFi does not function whatsoever.”

A second commented: “To say it’s been refurbished, it’s cheap, IKEA plastic plants everywhere and dirty and unclean. The public lounge is bad enough, but the Avro Lounge is an absolute disgrace.”

Another wrote: “Avoid this grubby, dirty little airport if you can. Completely unfit for purpose.”

Coming in second place was Manchester Airport, with 1.45% of reviews making reference to cleanliness issues. Belfast International Airport took third spot at 1.42%.

Followed by London Stansted in fourth place at 1.18%, with Birmingham Airport rounding off the top five at 1.13%.

Top 10 dirtiest airports in the UK:

1. Leeds Bradford Airport – 2.46%

2. Manchester Airport – 1.45%

3. Belfast International Airport – 1.42%

4. London Stansted – 1.18%

5. Birmingham Airport – 1.13%

6. Edinburgh Airport – 1.05%

7. London Luton Airport – 0.96%

8. Newcastle Airport – 0.84%

9. Bristol Airport – 0.80%

10. East Midlands Airport – 0.73%

Leeds Bradford Airport has been approached for a response.