Carriers will retain airport slots if they cancel services as passengers are urged to continue with travel plans
Penalties on airlines that cancel UK flights because of jet fuel shortages have been eased, it has emerged, as the government issued fresh advice to reassure the public they can still fly and should stick to travel plans.
Airlines who cancel flights will not lose their rights to valuable takeoff and landing slots at busy airports, which can be forfeited when flights fail to operate over a period.
The change was one of the demands from operators who have been lobbying for government help in the face of rising fuel prices and a possible supply crisis.
Exemptions from the “use it or lose it” rule can now be granted during shortages by Airport Coordination Limited, the independent body that manages slots at UK airports. The government said the change would allow carriers to “focus on minimising disruption” rather than flying to protect slots.
