Carriers will also be able to hand back ‘slots’ at airports without punishment, removing the need to operate controversial ‘ghost flights’.
The UK government is set to relax certain rules for airlines in a bid to protect summer holidays from disruption amid the fuel crisis.
While carriers in the country aren’t currently facing supply issues, the Department of Transport has said it hopes these changes will allow airlines to “plan realistically” and “lock in schedules earlier” so as to stop short-notice changes later down the line.
Airlines that operate multiple flights to the same destination on the same day will be able to consolidate schedules to reduce wasted fuel from flying planes which have not sold a significant proportion of tickets.
The UK government has also said that airlines will be able to hand back some of the ‘slots’ they are given to take off or land at airports without losing them.
Under current rules, carriers must use at least 80% of their allocated slots during a season to prevent them from being reassigned to other airlines. The practice hit the headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, with thousands of ‘ghost flights’ operated.
The UK has increased domestic jet fuel production in response to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israel attack on Iran. Jet fuel supply imports come to the UK from a number of countries not affected by the crisis, including the US.
