Heathrow, Gatwick revolt over Labour flight cancellation plans
Heathrow and Gatwick have urged the government to climb down from plans to allow airlines to scrap flights without notice – a move which could endanger the summer holidays of millions of Brits.
The leading airports reportedly wrote to the government to oppose mooted plans to unwind “use it or lose it” rules to allow airlines to deal with the jet fuel shortage that has already cancelled thousands of flights.
Jet fuel supplies have plummeted to their lowest level on record amid warnings the UK is the most exposed to the disruption facing airlines, and Brits have told Morning Wire they do not have confidence in the government to manage this crisis.
Under existing rules, airlines must keep activity at their reserved airport slots to a minimum level of 80 per cent of the planned flights or risk losing their access.
But these regulations already allow airlines to postpone 20 per cent of their flights while retaining the ability to run them the following season.
Airlines could scrap 100,000 seats
This means airlines can scrap around 25,000 flights – equalling around five million seats – at Gatwick, for example, without facing repercussions.
But the government has been considering loosening these rules to cushion airlines from the travel crisis caused by the Iran war, and these changes could see more than 100,000 flights be cancelled.
Heathrow and Gatwick have responded to a government consultation on the proposed rule changes, telling the transport ministry that the existing “use it or lose it” rules provide sufficient cushioning, The Telegraph has reported.
An airport insider told the newspaper that they are concerned airlines could take advantage of softer rules by ripping up their summer schedules and plunging Brits’ holiday plans into chaos.
A spokesperson for trade body Airports UK said: “We are supportive of government efforts to plan for future contingencies. But we are not there yet and supply is not an issue.
“Our view is that the existing mechanisms will suffice for the time being. We haven’t heard anything that would suggest that there is a need to go any further.”
Brits distrust government on jet fuel
The latest Morning Wire/Freshwater Strategy poll of UK voters shows that jet fuel supply anxiety is emerging as a key concern ahead of the summer.
Two in five Brits are concerned that fuel shortages could disrupt their own or their family’s summer holidays, and a majority (59 per cent) say they lack confidence in the government’s handling of the jet fuel supply crunch.
Heathrow, Europe’s biggest airport, saw footfall drop by five per cent in April to 6.7m as the “ongoing impact of the Middle East conflict” causes flights to be cancelled and rerouted.
The owner of British Airways, FTSE 100-listed IAG, last week played down jet fuel fears, claiming it has yet had “no issues with fuel availability”.
A spokesperson for the department for transport said: “UK airlines have been clear they are not currently facing fuel shortages. Holidays are taking off as planned, and based on current information, we’re confident that most people travelling this summer will have a similar experience to last year.
“We’re not sitting on our hands though – we know this is an evolving situation, and it’s only right we plan ahead to ensure protections and mitigations are in place so airlines can get ahead of any problems and lock in schedules which work for passengers and prevent last minute disruption.”
Method note: Freshwater Strategy interviewed n=1,243 eligible voters in the UK, aged 18+ online, between 9 – 10 May 2026. Margin of Error +/- 2.8%. Data are weighted to be representative of UK voters. Freshwater Strategy are members of the British Polling Council and abide by their rules.