Guidance published on 24 April 2026 says there is no current need for passengers to change travel plans. The Department for Transport, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said UK airlines are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel, because fuel is typically bought in advance and airports and suppliers hold bunkered stocks to support resilience. (gov.uk) The immediate policy position is therefore continuity rather than pre-emptive change. Passengers are being advised to continue with existing bookings while government and industry monitor risks linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. (gov.uk)
The factsheet also makes clear that routine passenger checks still matter. Travellers are being told to check directly with their airline before departure, consult the latest FCDO travel advice for their destination, and make sure appropriate travel insurance is in place. (gov.uk) The guidance therefore combines general reassurance with a requirement for passengers to monitor airline and destination updates. It stops short of asking people to alter bookings at this stage. (gov.uk)
Where a flight is cancelled, the legal position set out in the factsheet is that passengers must be offered either a full refund or re-routing. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, that protection covers flights departing a UK airport on any airline, flights arriving in the UK on an EU or UK carrier, and flights arriving in the EU on a UK carrier. (gov.uk) The factsheet directs passengers first to their airline, travel agent or tour operator, and then to Civil Aviation Authority guidance and the government's air passenger travel guide for the fuller rules on delays, cancellations and care. Those documents explain the wider assistance regime that can apply while passengers wait for a replacement journey. (gov.uk)
On the government side, the response described in the factsheet is centred on monitoring fuel stocks and maintaining close contact with airlines, airports and fuel suppliers. Ministers say the aim is to keep passengers moving and to support aviation and tourism businesses while global conditions remain difficult. (gov.uk) The same document says officials are planning for a range of contingencies while seeking a long-lasting and workable solution that allows shipping to move freely again through the Strait of Hormuz. That places the aviation guidance within a wider transport and trade continuity response. (gov.uk)
The main regulatory measure for airlines sits in the slot system used at coordinated airports. Under the normal rule, a carrier generally needs to use at least 80% of a slot series to retain historic precedence in the equivalent season the following year, a rule commonly described as 'use it or lose it'. (gov.uk) Airport Coordination Limited, which describes itself as the independent body responsible for slot allocation, has updated its guidance so airlines will not lose slots if fuel shortages prevent flights from operating. Airlines can apply for an exemption in those circumstances, reducing pressure to run services purely to defend slot holdings. (gov.uk)
For passengers, the effect is straightforward. There is no current instruction to change plans, but if a cancellation does happen the legal baseline is clear: affected passengers must be offered a full refund or alternative travel arrangements, and the Civil Aviation Authority plus the government's air passenger travel guide set out the wider support framework. (gov.uk) For airlines and airports, the position is more operational. Government monitoring of fuel resilience is being paired with a targeted slot-rule easement, allowing network decisions to be taken on supply and service grounds rather than on fear of losing future airport access. (gov.uk)