The UK Government has set out new plans to tackle the likelihood of last-minute flight cancellations this summer in the event of any significant disruption resulting from ongoing uncertainty caused by conflict in the Middle East.
Contingency preparations have been designed to give families more confidence when travelling this summer by allowing airlines to plan realistically and lock in schedules ahead of time, reducing the potential for short-notice changes at the airport.
Whilst the Government has stated there are currently no issues with fuel supply, it has confirmed it will be consulting with the industry in order to act quickly in the event of any disruption, allowing airlines to, for example, consolidate schedules on routes where there are multiple flights to the same destination on the same day.
As an alternative to cancelling flights at the last minute, measures will aim to help move passengers onto similar services earlier, prevent the running of flights without a significant number of tickets sold, and reduce wasted fuel from flying sparsely attended planes.
Plans were discussed by the Transport Secretary during a roundtable with key industry figures on 30 April 2026, with present representatives including Heathrow, Gatwick, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the government has been monitoring jet fuel supplies daily and working with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers to stay ahead of any problems.
There are no immediate supply issues, but we’re preparing now to give families long-term certainty and avoid unnecessary disruption at the departure gate this summer.
This legislation will give airlines the tools to adjust flights in good time if they need to, which helps protect passengers and businesses. We will do everything we can to insulate our country from the impact of the situation in the Middle East.
Measures being considered will, if approved, allow airline to proactively return a limited proportion of allocated take-off and landing slots without losing the right to operate them during the following season. ‘Hand backs’ allow airlines to build realistic schedules and avoid last-minute cancellations instead of flying empty ‘ghost flights’ or cancelling at short notice.
These plans will build on the UK’s independent slot coordinators’ (Airport Coordination Limited) decision to update its guidance, ensuring airlines do not permanently lose take-off and landing slots if they are unable to use them due to jet fuel shortages.
Measures will also allow airlines to plan ahead and act on the best information available on fuel supply or wider impacts of the Middle East conflict, rather than wait for a shortage to occur.
The Government has stated it will continue to plan for a range of contingencies to increase flexibility on jet supply, whilst domestic jet fuel has increased. Currently, the UK imports jet fuel supplies from a number of countries not reliant on the Strait, including the United States.
