Travel delays strikes and disruption

JET fuel restrictions could hit airlines on a global scale, a major airline owner has warned.

International Airlines Group (IAG), who owns British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, initially said that most of its airlines will unaffected this summer.

However, they warned that if the crisis continues, shortages will result in restrictions across the globe.

They said: “If the current conflict continues to restrict flows of both crude oil and jet fuel from the Middle East, there is the potential for supplies of jet fuel to be restricted on a global basis.

“We are engaging with governments in each of our home markets as well as with the EU to ensure that the industry is getting the support it needs to navigate this situation.”

IAG has said they expect their profit to be lower than anticipated. It also expects spend more than £1.72billion extra on fuel costs that previously predicted.

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The closure of the Strait of Hormuz since March has resulted in fears of fuel shortages, and caused airlines to start hiking prices.

Some airlines, such as Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines and Cathay Pacific, have already reduced their flights scheduled for the upcoming months in an attempt to avoid cancellations caused by shortages.

Other airlines like Air France and Virgin Atlantic have already increased the cost of flights.

Despite the warnings, UK airlines have said they are not expecting to be affected by cancellations this summer.

Tour operators including Jet2 and TUI have said they are operating a full schedule as planned.

And IAG said that 70 per cent of the company has hedged fuel for the rest of 2026.

Here are all the airlines that have cancelled flights due to the jet fuel crisis.

TWO holiday destinations are losing their Virgin flights until next year.

The major airline has confirmed that flights to both Dubai and Seattle will no longer go ahead this year.

Flights to Dubai are off the cards for most airlines right now, with the Iran war putting the winter sun destination on the no-travel list.

Virgin Atlantic had already suspended flights from London Heathrow to Dubai, but has now confirmed they would not go ahead until winter 2027.

It comes as its London Heathrow flights to Riyadh were cancelled entirely after just a year.

The airline is also suspending flights to Seattle until March 27, 2027.

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A Virgin spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily suspend our seasonal service to Dubai for the winter 2026 season, while services to Seattle will also be temporarily suspended for the winter 2026 season only, before resuming in March 2027.

“Customers can continue to travel to Seattle with our partner Delta Air Lines who will offer daily services from London Heathrow.”

“We’d like to apologise to any affected customers and will be contacting them with their options which include rebooking or a refund.”

The airline is instead adding more flights to two of its destination in Africa.

From October 25, there will be 11 weekly flights to Cape Town, as well as 10 a week to Johannesburg.

They added: “The updated flight schedule enhances convenience for travellers, with earlier morning arrivals into South Africa allowing passengers to maximise their time on the ground, and later evening departures offering a more seamless overnight journey to London.”

THE BOSS of Wetherspoons has hit back at Ryanair after the airline proposed to scrap the beloved airport breakfast pint.

Sir Tim Martin, 71, boss slammed the idea to ban the sale of alcohol before early morning flights as a “Big Brother” approach.

Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary, recently called for a ban after saying the rise in badly behaved passengers is causing huge problems for the airline.

He said it had become a “real challenge for all airlines” and questioned why punters needed a pint in the early hours of the morning.

O’Leary has also previously suggested a two-drink cap, something he says the airline tends to follow onboard, in an effort to clamp down on bad behaviour by passengers.

But JD Wetherspoon chief Martin said it could lead to passengers being breathalysed and added that any drinks limit would be hard to manage, The Times reports.

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He told the outlet: “It is in everyone’s interests to have good behaviour at airports and on flights.

“A two-drink limit would be extraordinarily difficult to implement, short of breathalysing passengers, and would, in our opinion, be an overreaction — especially since many of the problems stem from incoming flights.”

Wetherspoon also claimed that the majority of its airport sales were not alcohol and any ban would result in passengers buying alcohol elsewhere prior to arriving at the airport.

But O’Leary said the problem with passengers is getting worse – previously the airline would have around one flight diversion a week, which has since increased to “one diversion a day”.

Current rules allow pubs and restaurants in airports to serve alcohol at any time as they do not have to follow the same licensing rules elsewhere in the country.

Passengers drunk on a plane can face being jailed for up to two years, and huge fines if they force a plane to divert of up to £80,000.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sun Travel has approached Ryanair for comment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEW rules will now allow airlines in the UK to axe flights without repercussions this summer due to ongoing fears of a jet fuel crisis.

The Department for Transport has unveiled new measures which will allow airlines to cancel flights up to two weeks in advance, without losing their airport slots.

Instead, airlines will be able to group passengers onto other flights that same day, and operate fewer routes a day.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it would “give families long-term certainty and avoid unnecessary disruption at the departure gate this summer“

While this is said to be “protecting summer holidays” it could see passengers forced onto flights at completely different times that they had booked.

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “It’s not fair for the rules to now be bent in favour of airlines and potentially leave passengers holding the bill.

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“Many passengers will understand that disruptions can occur and may be happy to travel a few hours or a day later, but for those on short trips or connecting flights it could mean the trip is no longer worthwhile.

“Before any changes are made, passengers need cast-iron assurances that their rights will not be weakened and that airlines cannot use reform as cover to shift the cost of disruption onto travellers.”

However, it has been backed by Airlines UK, which represents UK carriers, as they said it would “avoid unnecessary flying and continue operating as efficiently as possible while protecting connectivity for passengers and trade”.

While jet fuel shortages – caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, are yet to massively effect UK airlines, many others around the world have ben formed to axe flights.

According to Cirium, two million seats have been scrapped across May, with airlines including Lufthansa, Air New Zealand and United just some affected.

Here’s what all the UK airlines are saying about cancelled flights and fuel surcharges.

EUROPE’S biggest airline is calling for new European travel rules to be suspended.

Ryanair has written to the 29 countries where Europe‘s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is being enforced, to suspend the system until September following lengthy airport delays.

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

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

“The solution is simple and already provided for under EU law (EU Reg. 2025/1534) – Governments should suspend EES until September when the peak summer travel season has subsided, just as Greece has done.

“This would allow passengers – many of whom are travelling with young families – a smoother airport experience for their summer holidays.”

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It comes as the airline has called on the French government to suspend the rollout of EES to ensure passengers do not suffer long queues at airports during the summer period.

According to the airline, despite French authorities knowing that EES was going to be introduced on April 10 this year for the past three years, they have “failed to ensure adequate staffing, system readiness or kiosks are in place”.

This has meant that there are long queues at passport control and in some cases, passengers are even missing their flights.

For example at Beauvais, Marseille and Nantes airports, queues are taking around one to two hours for passengers to get through.

Other European countries are also suffering, with Sun Travel Reporter Alice Penwill recently getting stuck at Lanzarote Airport in Spain for three hours.

Other reports have seen two-hour queues at Lisbon Airport in Portugal and in Malta, one flight was forced to wait on the tarmac for 40 minutes before passengers could get off, as passport control queues in the airport were so long.

Greece, on the other hand, has suspended EES until September, to manage peak summer travel.

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

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

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

“The Greek National Tourism Organisation remains committed to ensuring a seamless and welcoming journey for all visitors from the UK.”

A TOP travel company has launched a new guarantee for customers that allows them to get a refund the same day their flight is cancelled.

On The Beach has launched a new initiative for travellers this summer, where, if their flight is cancelled, they will get a refund on the same day.

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

The holiday package provider is the first to offer ‘Cancelled Flight Cover’, and it is included on all On The Beach packages.

The perk will come into play if your flight is either cancelled or rescheduled by 12 hours or more, with On The Beach first trying to find you the “next best flight”.

If this is not possible or you don’t want the alternative flight, a refund will be processed on the very same day for your flight, hotel and any extras you booked.

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It comes as airlines and travellers face uncertainty this summer, with possible cancellations across Europe due to fuel supply concerns.

Some airlines are already cutting flights but other providers usually take up to 14 days to refund customers.

Caspar Nelson, holiday expert at On the Beach, said: “Holidaymakers deserve certainty, especially when disruption strikes.

“We’re proud to be the first package holiday provider to commit to same-day refund processing for cancelled flights, giving customers the confidence to book knowing we’ve got their back when it matters most.

“If the worst happens and a flight is cancelled, we’ll move quickly to either find a new route or return every penny of their holiday money that same day.

“This means they can get a new break booked, make alternative plans fast, and get back to looking forward to their summer instead of worrying about it.”

SPANISH holidays are under threat as Ryanair looks to cancel even more flights to the popular European destination.

Ryanair has slammed the Spanish government over rising airport fees in the country, warning that they could reduce even more flights to Spain.

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

It comes as Aena – Spain‘s airports operator – plans to increase airport fees by 3.8 per cent each year between 2027 and 2031, which works out to 21 per cent total over five years.

Yesterday, Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said the new fees are “neglecting regional Spain” and that there could be further cancellations if the new charges go ahead.

Mr Wilson previously 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 added that if the fees did increase 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”.

These destinations would include Albania, Sweden, Italy and Morocco.

Ryanair has already slashed 1.8million seats, with another 1.2million set for this summer. This includes all flights being cancelled to:

• Asturias
• Vigo
• Tenerife North
• Jerez
• Valladolid

Here’s more on which Spanish destinations are losing their Ryanair flights.

A MAJOR train station in England has announced its closure over a busy bank holiday weekend.

Passengers are urged to plan their journeys ahead as the station will be shut.

One of the North West‘s busiest stations will be closed over the early May bank holiday.

Liverpool Lime Street station will stop its overground services on Sunday, May 3, and into the morning of Monday, May 4.

Engineers will be carrying out major upgrade works around the station during the closure.

Along with replacing outdated signalling infrastructure in the Edge Hill area, workers will be maintaining overhead power cables and track points.

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This means that overground lines in and out of Lime Street will be disrupted.

Paul Owen, Liverpool area director for Network Rail, said: “We would like to thank passengers for their patience while this vital work takes place.

“Replacing older signalling infrastructure with new equipment will reduce disruption on the railway and create smoother, more reliable journeys.”

Local Merseyrail trains will continue to run while other routes will be diverted or replaced by bus.

Travellers are advised to check with their train operator or on the National Rail Enquiries website for the latest information.

Passengers should allow extra time for travel and expect delays or changes to their journeys.

JET2 has issued an update to all travellers about increasing flight fares and holiday prices.

The UK’s biggest tour operator has confirmed that it will not be raising flights or holidays prices to cover increased costs caused by the fuel crisis.

The announcement comes as the ongoing fuel crisis has resulted in a number of airlines increasing their flight prices, including Virgin Atlantic.

The update applies to all flights and holidays with the provider, booked through any channel – whether that be online, via the app or via an independent travel agent.

It means that when passengers book with Jet2, the price that is shown for their holiday or flight, will be the price they pay.

Holidaymakers will still need to pay tourist taxes, which is usually done once you are on holiday at the resort or directly to your accommodation provider.

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Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2 said: “Holidaymakers should have every right to book their hard-earned break in the sun, without worrying about being hit with additional costs, and they can have that complete assurance when they book a flight or holiday with Jet2.

“As a result of today’s announcement, customers booking with Jet2 know that they are locking in their price without additional cost surprises later and we strongly believe that is the right thing to do by them.

“Ahead of a busy summer this is yet more evidence of why, on top of our incredible holidays and award-winning customer service, nothing beats a Jet2holiday.”

In a previous statement, a Jet2 spokesperson also told Sun Travel: “We remain in continual dialogue with our fuel suppliers, as is standard practice.

“Based on the conversations we have been having, we see no reason not to look forward to operating our scheduled programme of flights and holidays as normal.

“We understand that our customers work and save very hard for their holidays, and we are looking forward to making sure that they enjoy their award-winning Jet2holidays.”

The announcement comes as a number of other airlines have issued statements regarding upcoming flights and holidays.

TUI holidays confirmed that bookings have not been impacted or cancelled by the fuel crisis.

A TUI spokesperson told Sun Travel: “We’re closely monitoring the developing situation in the Middle East and its potential impact on global aviation fuel supplies.

“At present, we’re not anticipating disruption to our flight schedules or holiday programmes from fuel shortages.”

Budget airline easyJet has also said that flights are currently not impacted by the fuel crisis.

A spokesperson for the airline told Sun Travel that there was “no disruption to flights” and “no plans to make any changes to our flying schedule”.

However, earlier this week, easyJet’s CEO for Spain and Portugal did comment that it was “difficult to see” what would happen in the next few weeks.

Here’s a full rundown of what all the UK airlines have said about fuel crisis concerns.

And in other flight news, a major UK airport is set for May bank holiday weekend travel chaos as staff are to walk out.

Plus, Ryanair is axing thousands of flights from a European airport this summer.

ONE of the UK’s busiest airports is set for travel chaos over the May bank holiday weekend due to strike action.

Around 100 workers at London Stansted Airport – the UK’s fourth busiest airport – will walk out between May 3 and 6.

The walkout, which has been called by Unite the Union, will mainly involve staff who help passengers with disabilities at the airport and onto their flights.

Action was called after staff rejected a “substandard” pay offer.

Delays are expected as a result of the strike, as it will take longer to board passengers who need help to get to their flights.

Last year the airport handled 2.74 million passengers across May, with thousands travelling across both May bank holiday weekends.

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Many budget airlines fly from the airport including Ryanair and popular European destinations include Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Alicante and Ibiza.

As a result of the strike action, families and travellers heading off for the long weekend might experience delays in getting to their destinations.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “ABM staff do a vital job for passengers at the airport, yet they are struggling with low pay while their employer makes huge profits.

“This situation is unacceptable and workers at ABM continue to have Unite’s full support.”

Unite regional officer Steve Edwards added: “Workers at ABM are increasingly given bigger workloads and deserve pay that reflects this.

“Their employer can afford to come back with an offer workers would accept and could end this dispute easily by doing so. But until then, Unite members will strike until their voices are heard.”

A previous strike was planned for April 17 to 20 but was called off.

Sun Travel has contacted London Stansted Airport for comment.

Stansted Airport also recently hiked its drop-off parking charges by almost 50 per cent.

In March, the fee to use the express drop-off (up to 15 minutes) at the airport rose from £7 to £10.

The fee for longer stays of up to 30 minutes also rose from £25 to £28.

The changes made Stansted Airport the second most expensive airport for drop-off fees in the UK, only beaten by Gatwick Airport where the fee is £10 for 10 minutes.

Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

In other flight news, Ryanair is axing thousands of flights from European airport this summer.

Plus, four major European airlines are set to scrap free hand luggage onboard.

THE conflict in the Middle East has had a far-reaching impact on the package holiday market.

Bookings have stalled as holidaymakers delay plans due to the uncertainty and those who are heading away are opting for last-minute trips.

There’s been an increase in demand for Western Mediterranean destinations like Spain and Portugal over the Eastern Med.

Ironically, that has led to some fantastic deals available on holidays to Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt – all of which are operating completely normally and where there are absolutely no safety concerns.

All of our main tour operators – including Jet2, TUI and easyJet Holidays – have not expressed any concern about trips in the short to medium term and are planning on running their summer schedules as normal.

But with airlines across the globe beginning to scale back flight schedules – removing unprofitable routes now jet fuel prices have soared – as well as others introducing surcharges there is a stark contrast between the two.

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If you are looking to head away this summer and haven’t booked, now is probably the time to do it before prices start to rise.

Tour operators are desperate for us to get booking and you’ll see plenty of decent pricing and incentives.

Heading to Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt will be a good bet for those wanting to get a bargain – with demand for Western Mediterranean resorts high, prices could soon start to rise.

But what can you do to make sure your holiday is safe this year? While a lot of it is out of your hands, here are some ways to try and protect it as – much as possible.

Go for package holidays

Package holiday regulations do allow tour operators to add a surcharge to the cost of holidays already booked although it is extremely rare for this to happen.

Even then, the maximum they can charge is eight per cent of the holiday price.

Anything over that, and the operator has to offer you a full refund instead.

But what is clear is this is probably not the summer to do a DIY break.

Booking an ATOL-protected package holiday comes with lots of consumer protection you simply don’t get if you book each element independently.

Check your travel insurance

Most standard travel insurance policies exclude coverage for disruption tied to acts of war but it is still essential to take out insurance as soon as you book any trip as it offers vital protection in the run up to your trip such as sudden illness or the death of a close relative.

And of course, it provides essential medical cover should you fall ill or are injured on your trip as well as lost or stolen luggage and possessions.

Travel insurer Staysure revealed recently that the cost of a medical ambulance back from Spain this summer averages £37,853 from the Canary Islands, £22,930 from the Balearics and £25,583 from mainland Spain.

So it is still worthwhile buying a policy for medical protection alone.

And while travel insurance won’t cover you if your flight is cancelled, under UK/EU law your airline has a legal duty of care to you and must get you to your destination as quickly as possible.

In most scenarios, getting a refund on a cancelled flight would probably be the worst option as the airline then has no legal duty of care to you.

Read up on your rights should flights be cancelled and be prepared to fight for what you are due.

Opt for easy-to-get-home-from destinations

Many of us won’t want to give up the chance to soak up some Mediterranean sunshine this summer – and why should we?!

But making savvy choices on destinations could help protect your summer break.

If airlines do begin to trim schedules and cancel certain flights, it makes sense to choose airports where there are lots of daily flights.

Now is probably not the time to be booking a holiday to a destination that has just a single flight a week.

Booking holidays to our closest European neighbours – the likes of Spain, Portugal, France and Italy – also mean there are alternative ways to get home should flights be cancelled.

You can also look at other ways to holiday from the UK this summer without going near an airport.

There are lots of cruises that depart from UK ports including Southampton and London Tilbury that will sail you in style to the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords and beyond.

The boss of Brittany Ferries, Christophe Mathieu, has even said: “We make a clear promise to customers.

If you have booked with us, or are considering doing so, we will get you to a beautiful and safe holiday destination this year. Period.

“We will play no part in profiteering. The cost of our holidays rose by inflation earlier this year, and by inflation alone. There will be no further rises in the weeks or months ahead.

“Conflict or other global uncertainty should not be used as the basis for knee-jerk price hikes.”

Be prepared for unexpected expenses

Many travellers were caught short when airlines were forced to cancel flights to or through the Middle East at the start of the war.

For any trip, it always makes sense to have an emergency credit card for any unforeseen expenses that may occur. If possible, apply for one with an interest-free period.

Or look at a currency card like Currensea – this is a card that is linked to your bank account and takes out the payments via direct debit but avoids the high foreign exchange fees and doesn’t need to be pre-loaded like some other currency cards.

An alternative is to look at opening an account with a digital based bank account that you operate through an app on your phone like Revolut or Monzo.

FROM flight cancellations caused by the Iran war to massive airport queues caused by new travel entry rules – going on holiday has never been so stressful.

Even myself – who travels abroad every month – approached the airport with trepidation this week.

My latest trip took me to the city of Bilbao, following the launch of new TUI city breaks to the Spanish city.

But before I could be excited for cheap wine and pinxtos, I was ready to be stuck in the airport for hours on end.

The new European rules – called the Entry/Exit System or EES – have resulted in massive problems especially at busy airports.

More than 80 passengers missed their Ryanair flight because of huge airport queues in Marseille, while over 100 people were left stranded when an easyJet flight to Manchester left without them.

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The Sun’s Travel Reporter Alice Penwill was even stuck in queues for more than three hours at Lanzarote.

This is because of the requirement of biometric checks from all Brits which includes fingerprint scanning, and is a much slower process than passport stamping.

So after arriving late into Bilbao on a Friday, it’s safe to say I was prepared.

My first chaos-avoiding trick? Book a seat as close to the front as possible.

This will mean you can get off the plane as quickly as possible, meaning you can be at the front of the queue.

I was in row 5 out of 36, so was easily one of the first off the plane.

But this doesn’t always work depending on the airline and airport.

This is because many of them don’t have direct access to the airport via jet-bridge and instead offer the dreaded bus service to taxi you to the building.

Thankfully, there is a way to make sure you are still at the front of the queue even if you pile on.

The best way is to go to the very first bus, and go to the front doors.

Then, rather than piling to the back of the bus for a seat, stay in the middle of the doors on either side.

This means that you will be delivered directly to the airport security entrance and, no matter what side the doors open, you will be at the front.

Both of these tricks allowed me to be fewer than 10 people back when trying to get through airport security.

This still saw me waiting around 25 minutes and, frustratingly, unable to use the empty e-gates and instead stuck in the one-man security queue.

Not only that, but each person was taking at least 1-2 minutes due to the slow machines – so you can imagine how many hours that will take if there are more than 100 passengers on a flight.

But, it was reassuring when I saw how long the queue was behind me, and meant I avoided the majority of the queue.

I would also suggest that if concerned, fly to a smaller airport where there are fewer UK flights.

Bilbao only welcomes 1.6million tourists a year compared to Barcelona‘s 16million or Madrid’s 11million.

This means far fewer passengers travelling through the airport at any one time.

It is also worth avoiding arriving at the same time as other UK flights which you can easily see from airport departure boards.

This is because it is mainly Brits needing to do these checks, not other Europeans, so if there are lots of flights landing at the same time, this will see hundreds more passengers all queueing at the same time.

Airports which have been hit by the chaos recently have included Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, being a major hub, as well as Milan Airport in Italy and Lisbon and Faro Airport in Portugal.

Or – avoid it entirely by travelling to destinations which aren’t following the ne EES rules.

Greece became the first EU country to confirm that Brits are exempt from the rules in a bid to avoid the massive queues.

This means your trip to somewhere like Athens or Crete should be a much easier experience at the airport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greece has even decided to halt the system completely.

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

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

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

Sun Travel has contacted Malta Airport and Ryanair for comment.

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

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

A STANDOFF between unions and operators means a town’s brand new train station is still closed – two years after being built.

A transformative railway line aiming to link Oxford and Cambridge is continuing to see setbacks, leading to delayed openings of stations.

The £7 billion project by East-West Rail (EWR) aims to improve transport links for millions of residents in the region and boost economic growth.

Finished in 2024, the line between Bicester Village and Bletchley, a 36-mile journey, was due to open last year.

Currently, passengers trains are running on the tracks – except they have no passengers on board.

A series of disputes between trade unions and the operator, Chiltern Railways, have meant that the stations remain closed and only empty trains are travelling along the tracks.

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The ghost-trains currently running through the station are a combination of freight trains and those used for driver training.

Currently, the only EWR trains on the new line in use are those between Oxford and Bicester Village.

Winslow is one of the towns located on the Bicester Village to Bletchley line that has been affected by the closures.

The £5 million station was completed back in 2024, but has remained closed amid the rows.

It’s opening has also been delayed by concerns raised over the platform length at the station which are going to have to be extended to accommodate the number of travelers.

Both setbacks have frustrated local residents.

A local told the The Telegraph, that the exasperating delays have caused “difficult and annoying delays” for her daughter who has to travel to Oxford to work.

They said that the delays indicate that Britain “doesn’t work like it used to”, and believe a situation like this would “never” have occurred when they were a youngster.

The cause of the row boils down to who operates the doors.

Chiltern Railways, the operator, beleive that the train line should run as a driver-only operation (DOO) meaning that only the train driver is in charge of opening and closing the doors and no guards are required.

They are in a standoff with the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, who represent train guards.

The back-and-forth between the two parties means that plans to continue with the lines opening have be brought to a standstill.

An action group has been set up on Facebook by upset locals to discuss ongoing updates.

It has also become a place for residents to vent their frustration with the continued delays, with one local calling the lack of passenger trains running “an absolute farce”.

BRITS are set to face more disruption to their holidays as 14 airports in Spain begin indefinite strikes.

Major airports across the country will face industrial action starting on April 17, as air traffic controller unions stage a walk-out which will see flights delayed or even cancelled.

The action has been called by the unions USCA and CCOO which affects air traffic controllers operated by Saerco.

As many as 14 airports across Spain, including those in the Canary Islands, face disruption.

On the Canaries, this includes major airports in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.

The strikes affect mainland stops too; Jerez de la Frontera, La Coruña, Madrid-Cuatro Vientos, Vigo and Seville.

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Other airports in Castellón, Burgos, Huesca and Ciudad Real will also experience industrial action.

These airports see thousands of passengers pass through each day – so the disruption will affect millions.

Spain is one of the most popular destinations for British holidaymakers and experts have said tourism numbers could hit 100million this year.

The Spanish authorities have the power to impose minimum service levels as air traffic control is considered essential – so not every flight will be cancelled.

However, there are warnings of potential delays, last-minute schedule changes as well as cancellations and missed connections as a result.

The bad news is that air traffic controller unions have indicated that the strike action will be ‘indefinite’ so it isn’t clear when it will end.

To add to the chaos, there have been reports of hour-long queues at airports waiting to register with EES over the last week.

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

Meanwhile, Lanzarote Airport has had three-hour long queues to register with EES.

The new requirement was officially rolled out last week which led to huge queues at border control – some passengers even missed their flight.

Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

For more on Spain, here’s one airport to CLOSE for over a month with all flights cancelled – thousands of Brits set to be impacted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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United Airlines

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

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

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

Scandinavian Airlines

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

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

Lufthansa

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

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

Flight routes typically connected London to Frankfurt and Munich.

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

KLM

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

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

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

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

Cathay Pacific

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

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

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

Air New Zealand

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

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

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

Norse

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

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

Norse operated a summer route from London Gatwick to LA.

British Airways

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

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

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

Virgin Airways

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A 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’.

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,

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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’.