Planes flights and airlines

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.

A TRAVEL company in the UK has gone into administration after nearly 20 years.

Regen Central Ltd, a travel company that specialises in package holidays to the likes of Europe, South East Asia and the Middle East has entered liquidation with all holidays cancelled.

The specific number of Brits impacted by the announcement is currently unclear.

However, some Brits might not get refunds if they had a holiday booked.

Records show that the company’s ATOL protection was withdrawn on January 13.

ATOL is the UK government-backed financial protection scheme that comes into place when travellers book a package trip that includes a flight.

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The licensing is required for all tour companies in the UK and guarantees that customers get a refund if the company collapses.

The UK-based travel agency launched back in 2009 and is Hertfordshire based and was known for selling holidays to the likes of Italy, Bali, Thailand and Dubai.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said: “We understand the company had no outstanding ATOL-protected bookings.

“Bookings sold as accommodation only, non- flight packages, and flight only bookings for which tickets were issued are not protected by the ATOL scheme.

“As there are no outstanding ATOL-protected bookings, no refunds will be issued.”

The CAA also confirmed that any travellers seeking a refund for ATOL-protected bookings must do this through its claims process.

However, many bookings such as accommodation-only, non-flight packages and ticketed flight only deals, might not be covered by the ATOL protection scheme.

In simpler terms, this could mean for holidaymakers that have booked with Regen Central Ltd, they might not get a refund.

The spokesperson for the CAA added: “If you believe you are owed a refund for an ATOL-protected booking, under Regen Central Ltd’s ATOL, please contact us via email at claims@caa.co.uk.”

The company was officially ordered to wind-up – a court ruling that forces a company into compulsory liquidation – in May last year, with the process commencing in August.

In other travel news, a major airline has cut flights to and from UK as fuel crisis bites ahead of busy summer period.

Plus, a closed UK airport reveals more details about being able to reopen as part of a huge £193million project.

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”.

AN AIRPORT in the north of the country has taken one step closer to welcoming back passengers.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed in 2022 after operating for 17 years, but has been recently backed by the government to reopen.

Now, the regional airport has taken another step closer to welcoming flights as it is launching a search for an operational partner.

Operator Fly Doncaster is looking for a Fixed Based Operator to have a permanent place within the airport.

This type of organisation would provide services that include aircraft handling, fuelling, and parking.

What this means is that private flights could return to the airport before the end of 2026 – with plans for passengers flights much later.

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Simon Hinchley, Executive Director for Airport Operations at Fly Doncaster said: “As we work towards reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport, our focus is firmly on building a safe, efficient and operationally robust airport that is ready to serve a broad range of users from day one.”

In early 2025, the UK government revealed that £30million was being put towards its reopening.

More recently, a report for City of Doncaster Council’s cabinet announced that the cost of reopening the airport had risen to £193million.

Fly Doncaster said that when the airport reopens, it could see as many as four million passengers through its doors.

There has also been talks of a rail link to and from the airport that could have connections with the Lincoln Line and East Coast Mainline.

Prior to its closure, airlines like FlyBe, Wizz Air and TUI operated flights from Doncaster Sheffield.

As of yet, no airline has confirmed it will open base, but Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme Labour MP Lee Pitcher said last year that he was in talks with both Ryanair and TUI.

In July 2025, he told local media: “Yesterday, I chaired the latest meeting of the DSA Action Group, where we sat down with TUI’s UK & Ireland commercial director.

“It was a productive discussion, and we’ll continue to work with TUI, other key stakeholders, and push the Government to keep Doncaster Sheffield Airport firmly on the agenda.“

The airport is expected to be operational with passenger flights for summer 2028.

Another airport that is in talks to reopen is Manston Airport, in Kent which once offered flights from the UK to Europe.

Passenger services stopped when KLM pulled out of the airport in 2014.

The current plan is to reopen the airport for cargo planes which is scheduled for 2029.

There have been talks to start commercial flights once again, but this could take longer to start.

Tony Freudmann – the public face of the site’s owners, RiverOak Strategic Partners told Kent Online: “We need, by the time we open, to have enough advance commitment from cargo operators to see that it is going to work.

“At that point, if we get the right approach from passenger carriers, wanting us to build a passenger terminal and base some aircraft here, we’ll go with that.”

Here’s more on airports as chaos sweeps Europe with new travel rules that have resulted in three hour queues and passengers missing their flights.

And this Spanish airport is set to close for over a month with all flights cancelled and thousands of Brits set to be impacted.

A EUROPEAN airline is axing all flights with immediate effect.

Lufthansa‘s 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 – will be grounding 27 aircraft from April 18.

Flight routes typically connect London to both Frankfurt and Munich.

It isn’t clear how this will affect passengers just yet, as to whether they will offer alternative routes or refunds.

They said in a statement, according to local media: “As a first, immediately effective step, the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa CityLine will be permanently removed from the flight programme starting the day after tomorrow, in order to reduce further losses at the loss-making airline.”

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CityLine was due to cease operations by 2028, but has since decided to close this month instead.

Sun Travel has contacted Lufthansa for comment.

Lufthansa’s main airline has also announced that it will be grounding four Airbus jets and two Boeing jets for good, by the end of the summer, which are mainly used for longer flights.

Lufthansa will reduce short and medium-haul flights by five aircraft from this winter as well, while long-haul capacity will be reduced by six.

Till Streichert, chief financial officer of Lufthansa Group, also said: “The goal is to focus our short- and medium-haul platforms more clearly and make them more competitive.”

The announcement follows hundreds of flight cancellations this week following pilot strike action.

Union Vereinigung Cockpit called the strike action over pension disputes and yesterday announced that the strike action would be extended by two days.

Pilots first walked out on Monday leading to hundreds of flights being cancelled, including many from the UK.

Cabin crew also walked out yesterday and today.

Around 34 flights were cancelled to and from the UK yesterday and with an average flight usually carrying around 150 passengers each, more than 5,000 Brits could have been impacted.

When further strike action was announced, VC president Andreas Pinheiro said: “The situation remains unchanged; there is absolutely no movement on the employers’ side.

“For us, this is not about political power struggles or egos, but about sustainable solutions.”

In a statement, the airline told passengers earlier this week: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.

“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.

“However, despite these efforts, flight cancellations are unavoidable.

“Travelers who are affected by an irregularity will be informed accordingly, provided their contact details are stored in the booking.

“We ask passengers to check the status of their flight before setting out on their journey.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement.”

The airline has told passengers that if their flight is cancelled, they will be able to rebook once free of charge or have their ticket refunded.

In other flight news, here’s the first look at one airline’s new onboard bunk beds which even economy passengers can book.

Plus, a major UK airline is set to hike flights by up to £360 as they warn jet fuel prices have ‘never been this high’.

THE latest bizarre plane seat concept has revealed it’s ‘final’ design – but won’t be one if you’re claustrophobic.

First revealed back in 2020, the Chaise Longue Economy Seat would see two layers of seating – essentially double decker rows.

It’s been designed by Núñez Vicente, who as a then-21-year-old student, created it as a college project.

He was inspired after a flight to Europe, slamming the lack of legroom on offer by budget airlines.

The unusual seating design would – in theory – allow more legroom for passengers as there wouldn’t be a seat directly in front.

Not only that, but reclined seats would also causes fewer problems, as they wouldn’t invade the space of the passenger behind them.

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Overhead lockers would be replaced with compartments under each seat – so no battling for space there either.

Other future designs could include lie flat beds even in the middle.

However, some have cited concerns over the claustrophobic designs, as well as it being just another way airlines will cram more seats into the cabin.

Despite this, Mr Vincente said that the designs were not “a joke on the internet” but a real project he wants to get rolled out.

His latest designs were revealed at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Germany, a huge aviation show that takes place every year.

He told CNN Travel that this was their “best” design and would be as much as they could design as a small start up.

Not only that, but he said he was often consulting with airline bosses in regard to one day rolling these out – last year Airbus said they were “exploring early stage concepts”.

Despite this, the latest design has added slightly more legroom – meaning they are unlikely to remain as a basic economy prospect.

He added: “We have been moving the concept towards more of a premium economy experience.

“We have met directly with airlines and airline executives, CEOs and their customer experience departments, and they told us exactly what they wanted – and they wanted this seat to be something more than just economy.”

Tests conducted by fake passengers earlier this year praised the product, with some saying the lower level seats were closer to a business class seat.

He also maintains that if it did get rolled out – perhaps as an option in the middle of the plane, with other standard premium seats on either side – it could trickle down to economy,

Another airline is launching their own version of double decker economy seats – but as bunk beds.

Air New Zealand’s long-awaited Skynest beds are being rolled out later this year, with booking open from May 18.

The concept – initially only on New York-Auckland routes – would see six bunk beds that economy passengers can book for four-hour slots.

Passengers will need to pay an additional $495 (£365) on top of standard economy seats.

Here are some other unusual plane seat concepts.

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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.

A MAJOR European airline has announced even more strikes this week, set to impact thousands more Brits.

Lufthansa pilots have been on strike since Monday in a dispute over pensions, and now the Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has announced a further two days of strikes.

Pilots began striking on Monday, with hundreds of flights cancelled including many from the UK.

And now the union has announced that pilots will also be carrying out strikes this Thursday and Friday.

Cabin crew will also walk out today and Thursday.

It means that by the end of this week, there will have been six consecutive days of strike action.

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Over 200 flights departing Frankfurt Airport have been cancelled today, including the following flights to the UK:

• 9:50am to Manchester
• 2pm to London Heathrow
• 3:45pm to Glasgow
• 4pm to London Heathrow
• 4:10pm to Edinburgh
• 4:20pm to Newcastle
• 4:45pm to Manchester
• 5pm to Birmingham
• 6pm to London Heathrow
• 9:10pm to Birmingham
• 9:30pm to London Heathrow
• 9:50pm to Edinburgh
• 10pm to Manchester

As for flights with Lufthansa departing from the UK, the following have been cancelled:

• 9:30am from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 9:50am from Glasgow to Frankfurt
• 10:25am from Birmingham to Frankfurt
• 10:35am from Manchester to Munich
• 11:25am from Manchester to Frankfurt
• 12:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
• 1:35pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 3:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 4:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 5:10pm from Edinburgh to Munich
• 5:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 5:30pm from Glasgow to Frankfurt
• 5:40pm from Newcastle to Frankfurt
• 5:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
• 5:50pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 5:55pm from Birmingham to Munich
• 6:15pm from Birmingham to Frankfurt
• 6:20pm from Manchester to Frankfurt
• 7:10pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 7:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 8:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich

With 34 flights – often operating around 150 passengers each – this works out to more than 5,000 passengers to and from the UK affected.

Disruption to flights tomorrow currently remains unclear.

Regarding the further strike action, VC president Andreas Pinheiro said: “The situation remains unchanged; there is absolutely no movement on the employers’ side.

“For us, this is not about political power struggles or egos, but about sustainable solutions.”

In a statement, the airline told passengers earlier this week: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.

“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.

“However, despite these efforts, flight cancellations are unavoidable.

“Travelers who are affected by an irregularity will be informed accordingly, provided their contact details are stored in the booking.

“We ask passengers to check the status of their flight before setting out on their journey.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement.”

The airline has told passengers that if their flight is cancelled, they will be able to rebook once free of charge or their ticket refunded.

Though, all flights to the Middle East have been excluded from the strike action due to the ongoing Iran conflict.

In other flight news, here’s the first look at one airline’s new onboard bunk beds which even economy passengers can book.

Plus, a major UK airline is set to hike flights by up to £360 as they warn jet fuel prices have ‘never been this high’.

NEW images have revealed what to expect from the first ever bunk beds launching on a plane – that even economy passengers can book.

First announced back in 2020, Air New Zealand will be rolling out the new sleeping options later this year.

Called the Skynest, there will be six bunks, each with lie flat beds, measuring around 6ft6 in length and 64cm wide.

All passengers who book them will be given fresh sheets, blankets and pillows, as well as amenity kits containing eye masks, ear plugs, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, and hand cream.

The seats have privacy curtains, as well a small bag storage area, USB charging and flight attendant call buttons.

Each one can be booked for four hour slots, which is an additional cost on a standard economy seat or premium economy seat.

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Once the four hour session is over, lights will slowly turn on and crew will wake passengers up to go back to their seats.

Each flight will have two sessions, meaning 12 passengers per flight can book it.

No kids are allowed however – passengers must be over 15 to sleep in them.

Air New Zealand boss Nikhil Ravishankar told USA Today: “We really do hope that this starts a bit of a revolution in economy class travel, where sleep becomes available to more customers.

“One sleep in New York, you wake up, and you’re in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.”

Booking for the beds will open on May 18, with them being rolled out by November.

Prices start from $495 (£365).

They will initially only be on flights between New York and Auckland but they will be rolled out on other services eventually.

They could also be expanded to include more than six beds, depending on demand.

Air New Zealand previously rolled out the Skycouch seats in economy, the first in the world to do so.

Having launched back in 2010, Skycouch allows passengers to book a row of seats and turn them into a bed.

Other airlines such as United Airlines recently revealed plans for similar ‘economy bed’ options, called the ‘relaxed row’.

Thai Airways is also launching lie flat beds in premium economy.

THE new EES travel requirement is causing chaos at many European airports from three hour-long queues to missed flights.

From Portugal to Spain and Poland, here’s where Brits have been held up since the full rollout of the new travel rules.

New travel rules require all non-EU nationals to register their biometrics instead of having their passport stamped at border control, but it has held up travellers for hours.

Portugal

At Lisbon Airport, one passenger wrote on X yesterday (April 13), that he had been queueing for two hours to get through the airport.

Over the weekend, Lisbon as well as airports in Porto and Faro actually stopped EES registration because of excessive passenger wait times.

This was on the morning of April 11 and later restarted in the afternoon.

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Spain

At Palma Majorca Airport in the capital of the island, there were reports of queues “between two and three hours” at passport control on April 11.

This was in a joint statement from Airports Council International Europe (ACI-Europe) and Airlines for Europe (A4E).

They added that some UK-bound aircraft left half-empty after boarding gates closed while passengers were still stuck in the immigration line.

On the same day, there were long queues in Tenerife South Airport – one passenger took a short video of the line.

She wrote on Facebook: “Tenerife South Airport departures for the passport stamp before boarding. I do worry about summer which is going to be another record breaker. What is the solution? The new EES system just isn’t good enough.”

Belgium

Delays at Brussels Airport on April 10 even caused passengers to miss their flights.

The Airports Council International reported that in one instance there weren’t any passengers on a plane when the gate closed.

It said one flight from Brussels to the UK was missing 51 passengers at departure.

And then, “another flight had zero passengers on board at gate closing time, and 90 minutes later, 12 passengers were yet to reach the gate”.

Italy

At Milan Airport 100 people were left stranded when an easyJet flight to Manchester left without them.

The delays due to the new EES checks meant travellers were waiting in lines over three hours long.

Some passengers left in the airport were throwing up and passing out due to the heatwave over the weekend.

easyJet spoke to The Sun and said: “While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

Netherlands

Other passengers reported delays at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

One took to social media and wrote that hardly any passport gates were open, leaving older travellers and families with young kids stuck in lines.

Poland

In Poland, there were also problems. One traveller described passport control as a “shambles” at Krakow Airport.

They said: “Arrived an hour 10 minutes ago. Yet still have this queue to get through. I estimate another hour at least.

“Avoid Krakow if you want to: save your sanity/make a meeting/have a connection/enjoy your holiday.”

If you’re heading abroad soon, here are our seven tips for the new EES rules.

And this travel app could help you avoid massive airport queues caused by EES.

THE world’s longest non-stop flight is taking off next year – with new images revealing a first look at the aircraft with anti jet lag cabins and private suites.

Qantas’ Project Sunrise will be a non-stop 20-hour-plus flight between London and Sydney.

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

Expected to launch in the first half of 2027, the Airbus A350, from Australia’s flagship carrier, will serve two routes – one between the East Coast of Australia and London and the other between the East Coast of Australia and New York.

With flight times up to 22 hours, this makes it the longest nonstop flight in the world – beating the current 18.5 hour flight from Singapore to New York.

Inside, passengers can expect First Class suites, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy seats.

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There will also be a Wellbeing Zone onboard, which will be a space where passengers can get up and move about and tune into with guided wellbeing content as well as grab a healthy snack or drink.

The space is open to all passengers too.

Passengers will also benefit from free Wi-Fi in all cabins and Bluetooth connectivity.

In First Class, there will be six enclosed cabins each with a two-metre-long bed that lies flat.

If you want to stay seated, there will be a separate reclining armchair as well.

In comparison, the 52 Business suites will feature sliding doors to create some privacy.

The 40 Premium Economy seats come with a 20.3cm “winged privacy headrest” and a calf rest, to keep comfy on the 22-hour flight.

Economy passengers haven’t been forgotten either, with 140 seats offering 83.8cm of legroom each.

Rather cleverly, the entire plane features 12 lighting scenes which include Sunrise and Sunset.

Each scene will be played at specific times to help passengers’ circadian-rhythm sync with their destination’s time zone, ultimately helping to reduce jet lag.

In total there will be 12 aircraft, with one aircraft entering the final stages of production this week before two months of testing.

Via social media, Qantas also shared on April 13 that engines had been installed in the first Project Sunrise aircraft.

In a separate post, Qantas said: “The first Airbus A350-1000ULR rolled out of the hangar in Toulouse this week, with its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines fitted and ready to start final ground checks and a two-month flight testing campaign.

“From next year, these aircraft will carry our customers non-stop from Sydney to London and New York for the first time ever – reducing flying time by up to four hours.”

The airline also teased that “its first test flight is just around the corner”.

When the flight route eventually launches, it is expected to cut four hours off of current flight times, which also usually involve a stop to refuel.

This will be possible due to an extra 20,000 litre fuel tank at the rear of each plane.

Qantas first announced plans to launch Project Sunrise back in 2017, though the ambitious project has faced delays as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain issues.

Details of how regularly the flight will travel between London and Sydney are yet to be announced, as are the prices.

In other flight news, the UK is getting a new flight route to world’s best airport – under four hours away.

Plus, the secret tool British Airways uses to launch new airline routes – and the little-known months they announce them.

A MAJOR airline is carrying out a two-day strike from today and it will impact Brits travelling to Europe.

Pilots at Lufthansa will be striking today and tomorrow due to pension disputes, leaving hundreds of flights cancelled.

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

The cancellations started just after midnight on April 13 and are expected to continue until one minute to midnight on April 14.

Travellers can expect disruption across a number of locations.

For example, over 200 arrivals at Frankfurt Airport in Germany have been cancelled.

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A number of UK flights with Lufthansa are included in this today, such as:

• 9:25am from Glasgow to Frankfurt
• 9:30am from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 10:20am from Birmingham to Frankfurt
• 11:55am from Newcastle to Frankfurt
• 12:45pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
• 1:35pm London Heathrow to Munich
• 3:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 4:25pm London Heathrow to Munich
• 5:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 5:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
• 5:50pm London Heathrow to Munich
• 6:05pm from Manchester to Frankfurt
• 6:20pm from Birmingham to Frankfurt
• 7:10pm from London Heathrow to Munich
• 7:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
• 8:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich

Pilots are also striking at Eurowings, which is a subsidiary of Lufthansa, until 11:59pm tonight.

However, only flights operated by Eurowings Germany are impacted, and not Eurowings Europe.

If you are getting a Eurowings Germany flight, here are the cancellations so far:

• 8:30am from Manchester to Stuttgart
• 12pm from London Gatwick to Cologne
• 12:10pm from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf
• 1:40pm from Edinburgh to Cologne
• 2:45pm from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf
• 2:50pm from London Heathrow to Hamburg
• 3:20pm from Manchester to Dusseldorf
• 3:45pm from Birmingham to Dusseldorf
• 5:35pm from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf
• 7pm from London Heathrow to Berlin
• 7:15pm from Edinburgh to Dusseldorf
• 7:25pm from London Heathrow to Hamburg
• 7:55pm from Manchester to Dusseldorf
• 8pm from London Heathrow to Stuttgart
• 8:05pm from Birmingham to Dusseldorf

A number of flights are also cancelled tomorrow, meaning there will be further disruption for Brits travelling to Europe.

Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) called the strike following pension disputes, saying that Lufthansa had not presented an acceptable offer, according to Reuters.

The president of Union VC, Andreas Pinheiro said: “The Cockpit union feels compelled to take this step after the employer’s side showed no real willingness to reach a solution in several collective bargaining disputes.

“Despite our deliberate decision not to take strike action over the Easter holidays, no serious offers have been made.”

Lufthansa commented that the union’s announcement was a “new level of escalation” and that the union’s demands are “absurd and unachievable”.

The airline added: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.

“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.

“However, despite these efforts, flight cancellations are unavoidable.

“Travelers who are affected by an irregularity will be informed accordingly, provided their contact details are stored in the booking.

“We ask passengers to check the status of their flight before setting out on their journey.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement.”

If your flight is cancelled, you will be able to rebook once free of charge or have your ticket refunded.

The airline also shared that flights operated by Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss and Lufthansa City Airlines will not be impacted by the strike.

Flights to the Middle East – such as to Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – have also been excluded from the strike action, due to the Iran conflict.

In other flight news, another major airline has axed hundreds of flights until summer due to ongoing fuel crisis.

Plus, easyJet passengers have been ‘left vomiting’ in new border control queues as flight to UK takes off with 100 people left behind.

THE new EES travel system came into full effect just days ago – and it is causing travel chaos at airports in Europe.

Over the weekend, huge queues at border control meant some passengers were forced to miss their flights while others waited hours to leave the airport.

EES, which is the EU’s Entry/Exit System, became fully operational on April 10, 2026.

The new rules require all non-EU nationals to register their details like fingerprints and facial images before going abroad.

It will replace the need for stamps and is designed to make border crossings quicker.

But so far, lots of passengers have faced huge queues at border controls, some over four hours long.

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This weekend, the use of EES biometrics at three Portuguese airports; Lisbon, Porto and Faro, were actually stopped because of excessive passenger wait times.

To ease the queues, EES registration was halted on the morning of April 11 – it later restarted in the afternoon.

Public Security Police spokesperson Sérgio Soares, told press “the collection of biometrics at departures from Humberto Delgado (Lisbon), Francisco Sá Carneiro (Porto) and Gago Coutinho (Faro) Airports was interrupted from the beginning of the operation this morning.

“The interruption continues and is currently being reevaluated. This is to ensure that the waiting time is not longer than what we intend, namely so that people do not miss flights.”

However this was the case at Milan Airport in Italy.

Some passengers were left behind over the weekend as a result of the huge EES registration queues.

The BBC reported that over 100 people were left stranded when an easyJet flight to Manchester left without them.

The delays due to the new EES checks means travellers were waiting in lines over three hours long.

Some passengers left in the heat of the airport were throwing up and passing out.

One passenger told the BBC that her having to rebook her flights cost her an extra £520 as a result.

Another stranded passenger who spoke to The Independent said they had booked another flight at the cost of £1,600 – and with a connection through Luxembourg.

easyJet told The Sun: “Due to delays in EES processing by border authorities, some passengers departing from Milan Linate yesterday experienced very long waiting times at passport control.

“We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours. Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer. 

“We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.   

“While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

Meanwhile, at Brussels Airport on the very first day of the EES rollout, the Airports Council International reported that in one instance there weren’t any passengers on a plane when the gate closed.

It said one flight from Brussels to the UK was missing 51 passengers at departure.

And then, “another flight had zero passengers on board at gate closing time, and 90 minutes later, 12 passengers were yet to reach the gate”.

There were concerns raised about the new travel rules prior to the full rollout, with officials asking for EES to be delayed until later in the year.

If you’re heading abroad soon, here are our seven tips for the new EES rules.

And this travel app could help you avoid massive airport queues caused by EES.

AIRPORTS in Europe are at risk of running out of fuel in just weeks, experts have warned, sparking fears for half term holidays.

The conflict in Iran continues to cause chaos across the world, with the latest seeing President Donald Trump slam the regime for breaking the short-lived ceasefire.

This came after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz just hours into a two-week ceasefire agreement.

Travellers are now being warned that flights could be cancelled and prices could soon rise as fuel reserves are expected to run out due to ongoing closure.

And it could mean chaos for Brits heading abroad for the school May half-term holidays.

According to ACI Europe (the lobby group for airports in Europe), fuel reserves are expected to run out in less than three weeks unless the Middle East increases supplies.

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ACI Europe warns: “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.”

It added that the shortage of fuel supply is likely to “severely disrupt airport operations and air connectivity”.

Around 140 ships usually pass through the Strait of Hormuz – yet has dropped to just seven ships today.

For Brits, this could mean travel chaos for May half-term getaways including popular destinations such as Spain, Italy and France.

The announcement comes as a number of airports in Italy 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.

While this didn’t result in any flight cancellations, airlines were warned to fly with enough fuel for the return journey.

This is because any remaining fuel was being reserved for emergency situations including medical flights.

A statement said at the time: “Jet A1 fuel is temporarily unavailable at Brindisi Airport.

“Refueling is permitted only for state, emergency medical services, and medical flights.

“Pilots are advised to refuel at previous stopovers to cover subsequent flights.”

Restrictions were also in place at other airports in Italy including Milan Linate, Venice, Bologna and Venice temporarily.

Despite this, Antonio Maria Vasile, president of Aeroporti di Puglia, commented regarding the news of the alleged fuel shortage.

He said at the time: “Fuel supplies continue regularly, and there is no risk of an imminent shortage.”

And it isn’t just Italian airports being hit by the fuel crisis.

The Australian government has warned that the country only has around 30 days of jet fuel left.

The announcements also come as some Asian countries are grounding flights and European airlines are making plans to deal with shortages.

Back in March, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said: “It’s entirely possible that parts of Asia are just going to run out of fuel.”

Both Scandinavia’s SAS and Poland’s Lot have already cancelled flights.

Air New Zealand has cancelled thousands of flights due to fears of fuel shortages.

And UK airline Skybus announced that it was stopping all flights between Cornwall and London due to a huge rise in fuel costs and a drop in new passenger bookings.

Even Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, has also warned of “the risk of supply disruptions in Europe in May and June” unless the war ends quickly.

Fuel prices have soared compared to what they were before the war in the Middle East broke out.

Last week, the cost of filling up an average diesel tank broke through the £100 mark for the first time since December 2022.

And the Iran conflict has taken Dubai off the holiday list, with the UK Foreign Office still warning against non-essential travel.

Hundreds of thousands of travellers were left stranded abroad when the conflict resulted in airspace closures and Dubai Airport closing.

While limited flights have returned, most airlines are still axing flights to Dubai, as well as other destinations in the Middle East.

This has also had a knock-on effect of airlines that travel via the Middle East, such as Thailand, Vietnam and Australia.

British Airways has axed more flights to the Middle East this week as the crisis continues.

And some airlines are even hiking the cost of baggage due to rising fuel costs.

THE Iran crisis is continuing to affect travel with airlines having to stop flights to the Middle East.

British Airways is scheduled to start flying back to the likes of Dubai and Doha in July – but has announced it will drop one service completely.

BA 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.

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

However, British Airways is set to resume flying to the Middle East next month with flights to Riyadh restarting in mid-May.

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It is also scheduled to start flying to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv on July 1 at the earliest.

But these services will be reduced from what they were before the conflict began.

Flights to Dubai will go from three each day to one daily flight while services to Doha, Tel Aviv and Riyadh will drop from two flights to just one a day.

Flights to the city of Larnaca in Cyprus are scheduled to resume on May 22.

Meanwhile, services to Bahrain and the city of Amman in Jordan, are paused until October 25.

British Airways said: “Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, we have made further changes to our flying schedule to provide greater clarity for our customers.

“We’re keeping the situation under constant review and are directly in touch with affected customers to offer them a range of options.”

Due to its reduced flight schedule, BA has said it will use its freed up aircraft to head to other destinations like India and Kenya.

It will begin daily flights to Bengaluru in India and Nairobi in Africa during the summer season until late October.

It will operate a third daily service from London Heathrow to Delhi until May 31.

The airline will add its third daily flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai from May 15 to 31.

Here’s more on another major airline that has axed hundreds of flights until end of summer amid fuel cost crisis.

And one domestic airline has cancelled its London flights for rest of the season due to ongoing fuel crisis.

RYANAIR is relaunching twice weekly flights to a little-known Italian city – the first time in decades.

The budget airline is reintroducing flights to Forli, the first from the UK in 18 years.

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

Based in the Emilia-Romagna region, Forli is dubbed by Emilia-Romagna Turismo as a “city of art”.

Flights will take off from London Stansted Airport between June and October, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

It takes around two hours to reach Forli from the UK.

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And you won’t have to spend much either – you could hop on the first Ryanair flight on June 3 and return on June 6 for just £41.37 return.

Ryanair used to fly to the destination between 2001 and 2008, however the route was scrapped when the airline started to serve Bologna instead.

The comeback of the route has also been possible due to the municipal tax being removed, which was added to flights.

If visiting the city of Forli you will see traces of the Romanesque and Renaissance times, with ancient churches and piazzas that date back over 2,000 years.

One of the piazzas is Aurelio Saffi, which sits in the heart of the city and stretches 128 metres long, making it one of the largest squares in Italy.

Off the square, the historic centre is made up of four main streets – Mazzini, Garibaldi, Diaz and Della Repubblica.

Nearby, make sure to visit the Abbey of San Mercuriale, which has a 72-metre bell tower dating back to the 12th century that inspired the reconstruction of St Mark’s Campanile in Venice.

For those who love being outdoors, check out Parco Urbano Franco Agosto – a 64-acre park by the old city walls with free-roaming rabbits, ponds and sports facilities.

Forli is also well-known for its Romagnan cuisine with restaurants serving Piadina – a traditional bread often filled with local soft cheese and cured meats.

And the city is home to lots of bars as well, with some such as Volume Bar, offering a glass of wine for £3.05 and pints of beer for £3.48.

There are many other places to explore in the surrounding area as well.

Just 23 minutes from Forli is Bertinoro, which is a medieval citadel known as the ‘City of Hospitality’.

It is a great place to visit for panoramic views, stretching as far as the Adriatic Sea on clear days.

The city of Bologna is 29 minutes on the train, or an hour’s drive from Forli.

Bologna is known as Italy‘s capital of food and features a historic centre with 600 archways.

Or you could head to Rimini – which sits on the Adriatic coast with nine miles of beaches – is about 50 minutes away.

In other flight news, an airline is launching its first flights in two years from a UK airport to one of the world’s best food destinations.

Plus, a small UK airport is set to close for GOOD with its last flights departing next month.

AFTER just one day of emergency scenario training and mastering the art of the trolley service, I’ve learnt more about life at 30,000ft than in all my years of flying.

It takes five weeks for Virgin Atlantic cabin crew to earn their wings (qualifying to fly as cabin crew) – I had less than eight hours.

Recently, I joined Virgin Atlantic’s ‘Group 1000’ – the landmark 1,000th cabin crew intake to train at the Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) centre in Gatwick – which is part of the world’s largest civil aviation training network.

And across the day I discovered things I never knew about cabin crew and some brilliant tips for when you fly…

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For these recruits, getting their uniform isn’t like getting dressed for school: it’s a rite of passage.

One Group 1000 crew member even told me that getting your ‘red threads’ is like your unofficial graduation before getting your wings.

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Having explored Virgin Atlantic’s ‘uniform boutique,’ I knew exactly why.

It’s like stepping into a walk-in wardrobe drenched in two shades of red – bright and burgundy.

Pro tip: Next time you’re on board, look at the shoes.

Female cabin crew will be wearing red ballet flats during the flight for comfort and safety, but pop on their signature red heels when back on the solid ground.

In case of emergency

Donning the iconic Vivienne Westwood red uniform, I was ready to join Group 1000 for the day – though they had already been training for four-and-a-half weeks and had now been wearing their uniform for a few days.

Moving from glamour to grit, I got a sneak peak at what it is like to train for emergencies by sitting in on a scenario with trainees where the cabin filled with smoke.

With noises of the plane grumbling and smoke weaving between rows of seats, it didn’t feel like a movie – it felt terrifyingly real.

Watching the crew spring into action, one shouted “I’m coordinator” while another shouted “I’m the firefighter”.

By defining roles, each cabin crew member knows their responsibilities in the emergency.

The coordinator got to work, ushering passengers away from the smoke; this is the person you must listen to.

The firefighter then calmly investigated the area, using the back of their hand to feel if the panels of the side of the plane were warm.

When they found a ‘burning’ iPad (which you might hear them calling a PED (Personal Electronic Device)) another member of the cabin crew opened a special lithium battery fire bag – a piece of kit not every airline has.

It allows cabin crew to seal off the device and the flight to continue as normal.

My biggest surprise, during another training exercise, is that you may not even know a fire is happening.

When a small fire emerged in the area cabin crew prepare food, it was dealt with quickly, without alarming passengers, and the flight was able to continue unaffected.

Cracking the codes

Whoever thought in-flight food service could be so complicated?

I certainly didn’t until I learnt that cabin crew actually have to memorise 14 different food options, each with a specific letter code.

For example, ‘VGML’ means Vegan Meal and ‘CHML’ means child’s meal and will usually be chicken nuggets or pasta.

Passengers can of course request a meal before flying, depending on their needs.

For flying with kids, this can be extremely useful to ensure picky kids get an easy meal or a baby gets fruit or veg pouches or a jar of baby food when ‘BBML’ is requested.

There’s even a ‘DBML’ Diet Balanced Meal, which is generally low in sugar, low in salt and low in fat.

Virgin Atlantic also caters for a variety of religions, including a ‘VJML’ Vegetarian Jain Meal, which is prepared according to strict Jain dietary customs and will be in a plastic bag that the passenger opens themselves.

Trolley service secrets

One of the best things about a long haul flight is the free alcohol.

On flights, it comes as a double measure (50ml) and you’ll get a can of mixer.

But don’t be afraid to ask for a second can of mixer if you don’t like your drink strong – they will be more than happy to give it to you.

Virgin Atlantic cabin crew will also make you a cocktail if they have the ingredients.

For example, they can make a Bloody Mary and even have Worcestershire sauce for you to add to it.

They can also make a Screwdriver (orange and vodka) and even have a pre-made Mojito mix that can be drunk on its own or with rum.

Note – they will never ‘lampshade’ (where the cup is placed upside down over the top of a can) as no one knows what might have come into contact with the top of the drinks can…

Avoiding jet lag

Another Pro Tip: If you are on a long-haul flight and want to avoid jet lag, it is best to eat in line with the times of your destination.

For example, say you normally eat lunch at 12pm.

You shouldn’t eat when it is 12pm in the place you have flown from, but instead when it is 12pm at the destination you are flying to.

This helps your body’s circadian rhythm (its internal 24-hour clock) to adjust to your destination’s time zone, helping to reduce jet lag.

Something I will definitely be doing on all my flights in the future is taking electrolytes with me on board.

Group 1000 informed me that flying is highly dehydrating, hence why you should always have water on a flight and remember to drink it.

As such, cabin crew swear by electrolytes as it helps give your body minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium that are essential for hydration, muscle function, nerve signalling and pH balance.

By keeping hydrated, you can also better manage jet lag.

For more cabin crew tips, one air steward has flown to thousands of destinations and here are three reasons why UK holidays beat them all.

Plus, a Jet2 cabin crew member shares the affordable holiday spot they go back to every year with highs of 18C in January.

A SMALL UK airport will close in a matter of weeks with its final flights scheduled for May.

Coventry Airport first opened in 1936 and even took holidaymakers abroad for a number of years – but will close permanently in 2026.

It was announced in early December 2025 that Coventry would close its airport on June 11, 2026.

The last flights from are set to depart on May 9, 2026.

The site won’t stay vacant though as it will be replaced by Greenpower Park which first received planning permission in 2022.

It will be a £2.5billion battery gigafactory designed for electric vehicle production.

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Historically, Coventry Airport opened in 1936 – at the time it was called Baginton Aerodome and operated as an RAF base during WWII.

Later, in the 1950s and 60s, the airport began passenger flights across to the Channel Islands.

Then in the 1980s, Hards Travel began operating flights to Spain, France, Italy and Austria as part of package holidays.

Later on in 2004, Thomsonfly operated jet passenger flights to the likes of Palma, Valencia, Rome, Nice, Marseilles, Naples, Pisa, Venice, and Jersey.

During this time Wizz Air flew passengers to Gdańsk and Katowice.

However, after just four years, these stopped.

Following financial issues, the airport closed briefly in 2009, then re-opened in 2010 after being bought by the Rigby Group.

From 2010, the airport focussed on freight flights, training and even a base for the Air Ambulance rather than scheduled passenger services.

But after 90 years, Coventry Airport will close its doors in less than two months.

Last year, a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson confirmed: “Coventry Aerodrome has given formal notice to us of its plan to close the airport permanently with effect from 11 June 2026.”

For more on airports, here’s one in the UK that’s seeing a ‘boom’ in passengers with plans for more TUI flights next year.

And this UK airline has cancelled all London domestic flights for rest of the season due to ongoing fuel crisis.

ANOTHER airline has confirmed that luggage fees will be increasing due to the ongoing fuel crisis.

The conflict in the Middle East has resulted in the cost of jet fuel soaring due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, meaning airlines are looking at ways to offset costs.

And United Airlines has since increased its baggage fees, the second airline to do so.

The new rules mean checked bags now cost $10 (£7.50) extra, working out to $45 (£33) for domestic flights, or $50 (£37) if it it booked 24 hours before a flight.

A second checked bag will now cost up to $60 (£45) if booked last minute.

The airline said: “United is raising first and second checked bag fees by $10 for customers traveling in the US, Mexico and Canada and Latin America beginning with tickets purchased Friday, April 3.”

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Last month, JetBlue was the first airline to confirm that they would be increasing luggage costs in response to fuel prices going up.

Checked bags have gone up by $4 (£3) for off peak, economy travellers – who will pay $39 (£30).

Peak economy travellers will have to pay $9 (£6.80) extra, so to $49 (£37).

Passengers paying for luggage less than 24 hours before the flight will pay an extra $10 (£7.50).

A JetBlue spokesperson told local media: “Adjusting fees for optional services used by select customers, such as checked baggage, allows us to continue offering more competitive fares.”

Some airlines are already cancelling flights.

UK-owned Skybus has cancelled its daily flights between London Gatwick and Newquay earlier than planned.

Due to finish by end of May, it has since cancelled all of the routes and cited lack of passengers as well as rising costs.

Elsewhere in the world, United Airlines said they would cut five per cent of flights until the third quarter of 2026.

This works out to around 250 flights a month, based on the airline operating around 5,000 in total per month.

The latest to confirm that it would be cutting five per cent of flights in the second and third quarters of 2026.

Air New Zealand has cancelled 1,100 fights – working out to around 44,000 passengers – while Scandinavian airline SAS also cancelled 1,000 flights.

Both of these are mainly affecting domestic routes primarily.

And Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned of flight cancellations across May and June.

This could affect up to 10 per cent of flights this summer.

ANOTHER airline is cracking down on passengers travelling with a certain travel item.

Singapore Airlines – often named one of the world’s best – has confirmed that new rules are being rolled out this month regarding the use of power banks onboard.

From April 15, travellers will only be allowed to pack two power banks in their hand luggage.

Anyone with more than two will have to surrender any other portable chargers before being able to board.

Not only that, but they must not be used onboard to charge any devices.

This follows on from previous rules that don’t allow the power banks to be charged using the onboard USB ports either.

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The USB ports must only be used to charge items like mobile phones and tablets, not power banks.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) explained: “Power banks must also not be charged on board the aircraft and passengers are advised not to use power banks to charge their devices during the flight.

“ICAO’s new requirement of a maximum of two power banks per passenger and restrictions on the charging and use of power banks on board flights seek to reduce the risk of fire while catering for passengers’ travelling needs.

“In consultation with the airlines, CAAS will provide some time for the airlines to do so and for passengers to familiarise themselves and have the requirements take effect only from 15 April 2026.”

A number of airlines around the world have been cracking down on power banks being taken onboard.

One of the strict airlines is Air Busan, who has banned passengers from even taking them onboard.

This is because of an airline fire back in January 2025 which saw a plane decommissioned due to the damage caused by the power bank setting alight.

Airlines such as Emirates followed suit, with passengers only allowed to carry one power bank onboard and it must be under 100Wh.

Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines have similar rules as well, and ban the power banks being used onboard.

And airlines across Japan, Thailand, China and Australia are also affected by the power bank crackdown.

UK airlines are yet to follow these rules, with British Airways and Ryanair yet to introduce any similar bans.

All airlines still ban power banks being in any checked luggage – they must be in bags that go into the cabin.

A MAJOR airline has slashed the price of fares by 50% for summer as the Middle East war tumbles demand for long-haul flights.

Etihad is now offering some of the lowest ever prices seen for long-haul flights from the UK for May and June as it kicks off a price war with Gulf airlines.

Travellers can get return economy flights with the gulf airline from London to Sydney, via Abu Dhabi, from £688.

This is almost three times cheaper than flying to the Australian capital with British Airways (BA), via Singapore, on the same dates – which is £1,850 in economy.

The Foreign Office is currently advising against all but essential travel – which doesn’t include holidays – to the United Arab of Emirates amid the ongoing conflict.

But Etihad, which is the official airline of the UAE, appears to be gambling on hopes that the situation in the Middle East will have eased by next month.

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An Etihad insider told The Times, which analysed the airline’s prices: “As soon as travel picks up, we want to be back to flying planes 100 per cent full in all cabins, as we were before the conflict. These prices will help.”

The airline is also offering market-leading fares to other popular destinations from the UK, including the Maldives, Tokyo and Bangkok.

Brits can get return economy flights to the Maldives with the airline in May and June from £581 – compared with £3,380 with British Airways.

Flights to Singapore are form £391, but are £980 with BA.

Emirates and Qatar Airways, the other main Gulf airlines, have not cut their prices.

Demand for long-haul flights has plunged since the war in Iran first broke out at the end of February, with flights cancelled and the Foreign Office issuing “do not travel” warnings for countries in the Middle East.

Countries in Europe including Spain have seen demand rise, as Brits look for alternative destinations to travel to.

The UK Foreign Office states: “FCDO advises against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates.

“Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).”

HOLIDAYMAKERS could get stuck abroad this summer as up to 10 per cent of flights face cancellation if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned.

And the budget airline kingpin said that holidaymakers should book as soon as possible to avoid paying far higher prices.

The price of jet fuel has skyrocketed since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has left the vital shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz blocked.

Speaking to ITV News, the airline chief revealed that between five and 10 per cent of flights in May, June and July could be cancelled if the Strait remains closed.

The Ryanair chief explained: “We have aircraft that are based at 95 airports across Europe.

“And we’ll have to cancel routes at whichever airport where the fuel company advises us they’re short of jet fuel at, say, Malaga Airport or Athens Airport.

“It’ll be those kind of decisions. And we’ll get very little notice – we’ll be told, I think, within five or seven days.

“So we will then be looking around and we will be trying to ground one or two aircraft and minimise inconvenience for customers. But it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be challenging.”

O’Leary admitted that some holidaymakers may get stuck abroad due to flight cancellations, but noted that airlines have a responsibility to get you home.

He said: “Now, you won’t get compensation because it’s clearly beyond the airline’s control, but we will – and in Ryanair’s case we have lots of flights on a daily basis – we will re-accommodate you and get you back.

“You might be stuck for a day or two, but if you’re staying within Europe, you should be reasonably confident.”

Asked if it would be a “gamble” to book a summer holiday, O’Leary admitted “life is a gamble”.

He continued: “I think we’re looking at the risk of five or 10 per cent of cancellations in June or July, but 90 to 95 percent of flights will still operate.

“So, I think you’re really not taking much of a gamble. I would be much more concerned if you delay your booking, that actually you and your family will be paying much higher prices if you get to May, June, or July.”

The blame for any cancellations should be laid at the feet of the US President, not the airlines, the Irish airline boss added.

He added: “There doesn’t seem to be any exit plan at all. But we are where we are, blaming Trump is not going to get us anywhere.”

O’Leary said that this would be an “unknown scenario” for the airline industry and that “the sooner this war is over, the better”.

The new comments from the airline boss come after he said yesterday that jet fuel supplies could be disrupted as soon as May due to the new crisis in the Middle East.

Speaking to Sky News, the airline chief revealed that while Ryanair is “reasonably well hedged” on 80 per cent of its fuel, the company is being forced to shell out nearly double for the remaining 20 per cent.

O’Leary confirmed the airline is paying around $150 (€130) a barrel for the unhedged portion of its supplies.