Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with British airlines on late-notice cancellations of flights.

We have been extensively engaging with industry at both ministerial and official level since the beginning of the year. During these meetings we have been clear that the volume of late notice cancellations are unacceptable and airlines must have realistic schedules they can deliver.

On 21 June the Secretary of State laid before Parliament regulations that will help airlines prevent last-minute flight cancellations during the summer peak. The regulations will allow a one-off “amnesty” on airport slots rules, enabling airlines to plan ahead and deliver a realistic summer schedule that minimises disruption at the airports. Airlines will have a short window to hand back slots for the rest of the summer season that they are not confident they will be able to operate. This will help give passengers confidence in the schedules and more time to make alternative arrangements if they are needed, rather than face the kind of last-minute cancellations seen over the Easter and half-term holidays.

I am also chairing a Strategic Risk Group which meets weekly to bring together senior executives from across the sector to highlight issues, assess mitigations, and encourage collaborative working.