UK airlines given green light to cancel or consolidate flights to conserve jet fuel

UK airlines have been granted temporary permission to cancel or consolidate flights this summer to conserve jet fuel, as ongoing Middle Eastern supply disruptions threaten holiday travel [1]. The new legislation allows airlines to surrender a limited proportion of their allocated takeoff and landing slots without forfeiting the right to operate them next season, a rule change designed to prevent carriers from running half-empty planes just to retain slots [1]. Flights must be cancelled at least two weeks in advance if a jet fuel shortage materializes, with airlines expected to target routes with multiple daily services or flights with low ticket sales [1]. The measures were finalized at a meeting between Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and representatives from Heathrow, Gatwick, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and easyJet [1]. Rob Bishton, chief executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, stated that relaxing slot rules 'will allow airlines more flexibility and so we expect them to give passengers as much notice as possible of cancellations during this period' [1]. The UK imports about 65% of its jet fuel, much of it from the Middle East, and European states reportedly have only a few weeks of supplies left due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy artery, since March [1]. Alexander emphasized there are 'no immediate supply issues,' but the government is preparing to 'avoid unnecessary disruption at the departure gate this summer' [1].