update

The airline responded to a passenger who asked for an update on upcoming flights

TUI has shared a message to passengers worried about possible ‘fuel shortages’. The travel company issued advice on social media, responding to a customer with concerns.

The update comes as experts have warned Europe could face jet fuel shortages if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened in the coming weeks. Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, the trade body for European airports, previously said: “At this stage, we understand that 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 for the EU.

“The fact that we are entering the peak summer season… is only adding to those concerns.” On Thursday, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned Europe has “maybe six weeks of jet fuel left”.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has also said disruption could begin in May. He previously told Sky News: “Fuel suppliers are constantly looking at the market.

“We don’t expect any disruption until early May, but if the war continues, we do run the risk of supply disruptions in Europe in May and June, and we hope the war will finish sooner than that and the risk to supply will be eliminated.”

In response to the developments, a TUI passenger contacted the airline on X to ask if it could share an update for any flights booked after May 1. The social media user wrote: “TUIUK, with the reported jet fuel shortages, are you expecting holidays from May 1st to be affected?”

Replying to the message on April 16, a customer service team member answered on behalf of the airline. She wrote: “Hey, 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 any immediate disruption to our flight schedules or holiday programmes from fuel shortages.”

Other airlines have faced similar questions from passengers. In an X post shared with easyJet Holidays last week, a customer asked: “How concerned should we be that, given the potential aviation fuel shortages from end May, that our July flights Gatwick Bordeaux will be cancelled? Do you have surety of supply from Canada for example?”

In a response on April 10, an employee told the passenger they would be notified if any changes were made to the booking. easyJet Holidays said: “Hi there, thanks for reaching out. We do appreciate your concerns.

“Please be assured, we are monitoring the situation closely and if there were to be any changes to your booking at all, our dedicated pre-travel team would be in touch to advise on your options.”

Many passengers are facing waits of up to three hours at Spanish airports due to the new controls

Travellers in Spain are experiencing significant delays at airports. And experts are warning that one particular group is bearing the brunt of new border controls, according to a Spanish travel organisation.

There have been widespread reports of waiting times of up to three hours. New regulations have been introduced, with some passengers in particular facing very long waits.

Spanish media reports indicate waiting times of up to three hours at Palma airport alone, with similar delays reported in France, Greece, Italy and beyond. Travel group Aviba is now calling for urgent measures to prevent chaos this coming summer.

Pedro Fiol, president of the travel association, is demanding immediate action to avert disruption this summer, and has revealed he has been pushing for such measures for months, according to Ultimata Hora. The new system has only just been introduced, having fully launched on April 10, following a trial period that began late last year.

The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) initially began operations on 12 October 2025, with a phased rollout across 29 European countries. Now it is fully in place.

The system replaces passport stamping with digitally recorded entries, exits or refusals of entry of non-EU nationals arriving for short stays. Travellers’ facial images, fingerprints and personal data from the travel document will also be recorded.

Mr Fiol said: “The implementation of the new European Border and Security System (EES) is already beginning to be felt at the Balearic airports, especially at Son Sant Joan, the main gateway to Mallorca, where we are still operating with a hybrid model. At certain times, it is causing some slowdowns in the controls, particularly for non-EU passengers.”

He warned that “we are facing a structural change in how borders are managed across Europe: biometric registration is replacing manual passport stamping, and this means more time for the passenger’s first contact with their destination.” In his view, so far “the experience has been inconsistent: some days the operation runs relatively smoothly, while others, according to agencies and tour operators, can take more than two hours from the moment the plane lands until the traveller collects their luggage, and even nearly three hours in some specific cases.”

Ultima Hora reports that the National Police have acknowledged the delays, though they say they have seen no evidence of prolonged hold-ups. Sources close to the security forces have told Spanish media that additional staff have been deployed during peak hours in a bid to ease any difficulties that may occur during periods of heavy passenger congestion at checkpoints.

Travellers passing through airports in countries including France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece are facing waits of several hours at border controls, according to the Airports Council International (ACI). Olivier Jankovec, the director of the ACI European division, told the Financial Times: “This situation, in the coming weeks and certainly over the peak summer months, is going to be simply unmanageable.

“We are seeing those queueing times now, at peak times, when traffic is just starting to build up.” A spokesperson for the European Commission told the Guardian: “What we can see from the first days of full operation is that the system is working very well. In the overwhelming majority of member states there are no issues.”

The commission said that the average registration of a passenger was 70 seconds, although the ACI has claimed that it can take up to five minutes. The spokesperson said there were a “few member states where technical issues have been detected” but that they “are being addressed”.

They said: “It is up to member states to ensure the proper implementation of the EES on the ground.” Luke Fitzpatrick, from independent travel agency Perfect Getaways, told the BBC this week that travellers should plan ahead to make border checks as smooth as possible.

“It’s about being as prepared as you can be,” Fitzpatrick told BBC Radio Merseyside. “There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment as people are getting used to the new system.”

While he said the advice was to arrive at the airport “at least three hours early”, he said it could be more difficult for people booked on a package holiday. “If you’re on a shared transfer back, everyone’s coming together at the same time,” he said.

EES changes and the impact on transfer and pick-ups

Pedro Fiol told Ultima Hora that “this situation is forcing a restructuring of transfer and pick-up operations at destinations to better co-ordinate exact times, avoid additional downtime, and guarantee the smoothest possible service.” Given this situation, he says that “travel agencies are concerned that if resources are not properly allocated at airports with such high tourist pressure as those in the Balearic Islands, significant queues and a negative first experience for visitors are possible.”

What do Brit tourists need to do with EES rules?

The govuk website states that “if you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you may be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration.

“EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU. EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.”

The countries in the Schengen area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

EasyJet’s general manager in Portugal has issued a warning over new government proposals the carrier says will artificially inflate prices

easyJet is weighing up plans to cut back operations in Portugal, according to reports emerging from the country. The airline’s general manager there has issued the warning amid a dispute over government proposals which easyJet claims will drive up costs for passengers.

José Lopes, easyJet’s general manager in Portugal, announced on Monday that the carrier may cut back its domestic services following the scrapping of caps on something called the social mobility allowance for air travel. This caps maximum fares for some local passengers – but the changes are set to affect the airline more widely.

“Removing the upper limit will artificially inflate prices,” José Lopes said. He argued that the measure will deliver “zero benefits” for island residents while helping to deter tourists, who makeup the bulk of passengers on domestic routes.

The airline says it will not return to operate Azores routes due to the changes. It had already confirmed its departure from the region from March 29, 2026, blaming a 35 per cent increase in airport fees and what it describes as government inaction.

The easyJet representative was addressing journalists at a press conference in Funchal, held in partnership with the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, to outline the company’s operations and long-term pledges in the Madeira archipelago, SIC Noticias reports. Portuguese media outlets report that at Porto Santo airport, the two existing routes to Lisbon and Porto will be retained, albeit with a reduction to Lisbon owing to constraints at that airport, he indicated.

He warned that if the measure to alter the social mobility subsidy regime – which would remove the maximum limits for air travel for residents of Madeira and the Azores – is implemented, there will be implications for Easyjet’s operations. “I hope that an analysis will be carried out and a way will be found to be more rational and less emotional in dealing with the matter,” he said.

When asked about the possibility of abandoning the route to Madeira, the official ruled out this scenario. Yet reports say he highlighted the possibility of “a reduction in market capacity.”

The changes were given the green light on Friday in the Assembly of the Republic, but have yet to come into force. The amendments stem from two initiatives to revise the legislation put forward by the Socialist Party and Chega.

What is the social mobility subsidy?

The social mobility subsidy set a maximum fare of €79 for residents and €59 for students travelling between Madeira and the mainland (round trip), with an overall cap of €400. In the Azores, residents travelling to the mainland pay no more than €119, while students are capped at €89, with a recently introduced maximum ceiling of €600.

The Portugal Post reports that Portugal Parliament’s recent decision to abolish price caps has placed island connectivity under serious threat, with easyJet warning of capacity reductions to Madeira and confirming it will not operate Azores routes under the new framework.

Ryanair has also revealed plans to cease all operations in the Azores on March 29, 2026, citing cost pressures.

Coronation Street icon Beverley Callard, who played Liz McDonald on the ITV soap for 30 years, has admitted she is “trying to be strong” after receiving a cancer update

Beverley Callard has admitted she is “trying to be strong” after receiving a cancer update. The actress, 69, who is best known for having starred as Rovers Return landlady Liz McDonald on Coronation Street, recently located to Ireland with her husband Jon McEwan so she could star in the BBC soap Fair City.

But just before filming her first scenes, the star, who can currently be seen competing on the pre-recorded I’m A Celebrity…South Africa series, received a call informing her that she had been diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer and underwent her first bout of surgery shortly afterwards.

Beverley underwent the initial operation in March and expected to receive her results, which will indicate whether she is cancer-free or not, around four weeks later, but received one setback at the beginning of April when she heard that there was a “backlog” in the system. On Tuesday evening, Beverley took to Instagram once again to update her followers once again on the situation.

READ MORE: Corrie legend Beverley Callard tearfully admits she’s ‘in denial’ amid cancer diagnosisREAD MORE: I’m A Celebrity’s Bev Callard slams ‘crazy’ Coronation Street decision

Beginning with a sigh, she said: “Oh well, I’ve been painting all day again and I’ve nearly finished it, which is amazing. God, I’ve put some hours in that room, but I really want it finished for when Jon gets back. As you know, I’m waiting for my results, which has made me paint for England, well, for Ireland!

“Anyway, I got a text just a couple of hours ago. It says that my consultant is away at the moment, but there is someone else who I have seen before, another consultant, who wants to discuss my results on Thursday at 12 o’clock, so I’ve got a consultation then. I don’t know what that means. So I’m sort of like, ‘Okay… I just thought that the nurse was going to ring.’

“I spoke to one of the cancer nurses last week, she was great, and she said they would ring me as soon as they know anything. So I’m thinking, ‘Well, why have they not rung me then?

“Or am I mistaken? I don’t know but I will know more on Thursday at 12 o’clock so I will be glad when Jon is home. I wasn’t going to tell him but [my daughter] Rebecca said to tell him, so I have just told him. There we are. I just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. Lots of love everyone – I’m being strong.”

Beverley, who is also known for starring in the classic sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps alongside Sheridan Smith, Natalie Casey and Will Mellor, wrote in the caption: “Had a bit of a weird update and not sure how to feel about it…trying to be brave and strong.”

The soap icon was immediately supported by fans following the update, with one writing in the comments section: “I got called in Monday, 2 hour drive, for follow up results from my scan after lung surgery from recurrance after 2yrs (not breast cancer) I had health anxiety for 2 weeks waiting for the appointment day thinking it must be bad or oncologist would just phone.

“Was in office 5 mins, she said all clear, we’ll do another scan September. It’s not always bad but i think they sometimes forget the anxiety of the wait. Sending love,” (sic), whilst another said: “Stay positive Bev. Be as strong as you were in the jungle darling, You’ve got this, beautiful lady!”

Trying to reassure her, a third wrote: “This is the phone call the nurse promised. The dr has to speak to you because, whatever the outcome, there will be a treatment plan which they need to go through with you. Try not to worry – it doesn’t mean it’s bad news xxx”

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.

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