UK: British Airways suspends sale of short-haul tickets from London Heathrow Airport through Aug. 8

Event

British Airways (BA) has suspended the sale of short-haul flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) through Aug. 8. Flights to domestic and European destinations have been affected.

The decision was taken in order to comply with new rules implemented at LHR limiting the number of flights over the summer period. There has been significant disruption at LHR in recent months due to increased passenger numbers and staff shortages at airlines. The new regulation limits the number of passengers departing daily to 100,000 and will remain in place through Sep. 11. British Airways had previously stated that it would cancel 10,300 flights through October as a result of the rule change, affecting up to a million passengers.

British Airways may cancel certain short-haul flights to redistribute the reduced number of passengers. The reduced availability of British Airways flights may result in increased demand and prices for competitor flights. Other airlines may take similar measures in the coming weeks.

Advice

Reconfirm flights at LHR through at least Aug. 8. Consider arriving at the airport early to avoid missing flights. Do not check out of accommodations until onward travel is confirmed.