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Emirates issues new travel and flight update for Brits
The latest announcement from the airline, which is based in Dubai, comes after Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary warned UK travellers to book their summer holidays “as quickly as you can” to avoid rising costs, due the recent Middle East conflict.
In a statement on Friday (April 10) Emirates said: “Following the partial reopening of regional airspace, Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule.
“You can check our latest flight schedules for upcoming flights and book seats to travel.
“We continue to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly.
“We would like to thank you for your understanding and patience.
“The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority and will not be compromised.”
Emirates adds that before you travel: “Please continue to check your flight status, even after you have checked in.
“You can also review the latest operational updates on emirates.com.
“Make sure your details are up to date to receive notifications and check your email for changes or cancellations to your flights before travelling to the airport.”
Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule to over 100 destinations.
New Bookings
Customers can check our latest flight schedules and book at https://t.co/A2RdND1Gjr . To provide further peace of mind, customers who make new bookings will also be offered one complimentary… pic.twitter.com/0pXSv4jrcp— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) April 10, 2026
The airline advises: “If your travel plans have been affected, we’ll do our best to rebook you on the next available Emirates flight.
“This applies to most disrupted tickets, including journeys connecting beyond Dubai.”
Customers booked to travel between February 28 until and including May 31 can either rebook on an alternate flight or request a refund.
Emirates continues: “To provide further peace of mind, customers who book flights from 2 April will also be offered one complimentary date change, across all cabins.
“Please note, changes must be within ticket validity, and fare difference fees may apply.”
Find out more information about what you can do when it comes to changing your Emirates flight via the airline’s travel updates page online.
Major airline with flights from UK increases fuel surcharges
The latest air travel update from Emirates comes as Air India announced it was increasing its fuel surcharge on domestic and international flights this week.
These revised fees came into effect for UK flights on Friday, although the airline assured passengers who have already booked tickets will be unaffected by the change.
Air India said: “For the avoidance of doubt, tickets that have already been issued prior to the above times will not attract the new surcharge unless customers seek date or itinerary changes that require a recalculation of the fare.
“Air India will review its surcharges periodically and make appropriate adjustments as the situation requires.”
Air India usually operates more than 60 weekly flights between India and the UK, connecting cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Amritsar to London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and Birmingham.
Air India group announces revised fuel surcharges on domestic and international routes.
Read more here: https://t.co/piFcCaA0jJ
— Air India (@airindia) April 7, 2026
UK airline cancels flights due to ‘huge rise in global cost of fuel’
Prior to Air India’s announcement, UK airline Skybus ceased all flights between Newquay Airport and London Gatwick from April 3, partly due to the “huge rise in the global cost of fuel”.
In a statement published by multiple news outlets, including ITV, Skybus managing director Jonathan Hinkles said: “The huge rise in the global cost of fuel following the conflict in the Gulf, coupled with a significant drop in new passenger bookings since mid-February’s announcement of the planned closure of the PSO air route, forms an insurmountable barrier to the service continuing through April and May.
“At a time of great economic uncertainty and steps being taken to conserve energy worldwide, it is neither environmentally nor economically sound for us to continue flying with vastly reduced passenger numbers.”
The last flight operated on April 2 and all passengers who have had upcoming journeys cancelled will be refunded, according to the airline.
Have you faced any flight disruption over the last few weeks? Let us know in the comments below.
On Wednesday, September 2, it was the Concours judging and private viewings to dominate the agenda for the day.
Twelve Concours classes were held across almost a century of motoring, including The Golden Age of Motoring, 100 Years of Carrrozzeria Touring, La Dolce Vita, 60 Years of the Lamborghini Miura and Passione Ferrari.
Two new classes also made their debut for 2026, Rare Breeds of the Digital Age and Hypercar Heaven, which recognise the growing importance of contemporary performance cars within the international collector market.
Judging will take place across Wednesday and Thursday, with the show field bringing together a 70-strong collection of classics, supercars and hypercars from around the world.
Some of the cars include Aa Maserati 8C 3000, Alfa Romeo Sprint Berlinetta, a one-off Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo by Vignale, a very early Porsche 356 Split Window Coupé, Aston Martin DB3S, Lamborghini Miura P400S, Bizzarrini 5300GT, Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet, Bugatti EB110 Prototype, Aston Martin Valiant Prototype and the extraordinary Bugatti Bolide, one of just 40 produced worldwide.
Helen Pike has decided to step down as Master of Magdalen College School at the end of the 2026/27 academic year, the school in east Oxford announced in March.
MCS is one of the top performing schools in the country, ranking in the top 20 independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2026.
READ MORE: UK private school headteacher to leave after 11 years
The new academic year will start next week, with Ms Pike preparing for one more year in charge before she hands over to her successor, who will take over in September 2027.
The first female Master at MCS, Ms Pike guided the board of governors to one of the most significant decisions in the school’s history, to become fully co-educational from 2027.
While there has been a co-educational sixth form at the school for 15 years, the school last month announced it will become fully co-educational over the coming decade.
Ms Pike said earlier: “I love MCS, and it is a perennial privilege to lead this remarkable school.
“Being Master of MCS is a brilliant job, and I am declaring my intention early in order to give MCS the very best opportunity to find the right Master for September 2027. I shall continue to do all in my power to further the fortunes of this wonderful school until then.
“I look forward to a new phase in my own professional life, one that builds on all that I have enjoyed and achieved in my career during the past 30 years.
“Having encouraged many cohorts of pupils to take sensible risks and to do something creative and different when the time feels right, I am doing just that.”
During Ms Pike’s tenure, MCS has been recognised as a Top 20 Independent School and South East School of the Year by the Sunday Times and won Independent School of the Year for Social Mobility.
Thanking her in his letter to the school community, chair of governors, Bob Price, said earlier this year: “Helen is an outstanding leader and will go with our sincere gratitude and warm thanks for her exceptional headship.
“She will leave the school in excellent shape for her successor.”
Recruitment for a replacement for Ms Pike is now under way.
Last month, Ms Pike congratulated pupils on their “outstanding success” in this year’s A-Level exams, after more than a quarter of pupils (43) achieved three A*s or more and 25 secured all A*s.
In total, 39 pupils from the 2026 cohort are heading to Oxbridge, while 22 have secured places to study medicine.
As part of the school’s expansion plans, MCS is preparing to build a new Science, Library and Partnerships building.
A spokeswoman said the new building will offer an exciting opportunity to reimagine the senior school site as staff look ahead to full co-education.
She added earlier: “With a vision to create a sector-leading science building in the centre of Oxford, the development will enable us to support an ambitious and forward-looking science curriculum, expanding to the emerging and rapidly advancing areas of robotics, AI and Big Data.”
Holding banners which read ‘For f**k’s sake, just stop oil’, the demonstrators took to the road in Parliament Square at noon today (Wednesday, September 2).
This was as Andy Burnham faced his first Prime Minister’s Questions, and many of the protestors glued themselves to the road.
The group demanded that the UK government stop approving all further oil and gas developments, and sign a Fossil Fuel Treaty to stop oil and gas extraction.
READ MORE: Witney firefighters called out to over 50 incidents in one month
Just Stop Oil say that the police are expected to arrest all those blocking the road, and that one lane has been left free of glued-on action takers to permit access for emergency vehicles.
Andy Burnham is due to make a decision on whether to allow more drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
Reverend James Crote, a Baptist Minister and grandfather from Chesterton near Bicester, said: “Today is my grandson’s first birthday. I have to take action for the sake of his future.
The 69-year-old added: “The government has been dilly-dallying about whether to say yes or no to the Rosebank oil field but, if we want a future for our children, there is no choice – it has to say ‘no’.
READ MORE: Chain closes almost 200 UK restaurants with close to 4,000 jobs lost
“I am here as a Christian Minister because the Church has to speak out and demand that the government stops approving further oil and gas developments now. It’s time for us all to say ‘For God’s sake, Just Stop Oil’.”
Data from the Met Office indicates that 2026 was the hottest summer in UK recorded history, beating 2025, which was the previous hottest summer on record.
2026 was also one of the driest summers on record, delivering record-low food harvests.
Climbing temperatures have triggered wildfires across the country, and national fire chiefs said the wildfire risk facing the UK is “like nothing we have seen before”.
READ MORE: Broadchurch star selling £1.8m ‘magical’ Cotswolds mill house after 60 years
Taking action, grandmother Victoria Ann Lynch-Staunton from Leamington Spa, said: “What is happening is beyond a tragedy.”
The 71-year-old added: “I beg everyone to join Just Stop Oil or governments will continue to prioritise endless growth and corporate profit over billions of lives – yours and your children.
“Wake up and smell the coffin. It is the responsibility of all of us to act now!”
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said today: “We are all Just Stop Oil.
READ MORE: The Grand Tour returns to screens with brand new trio this week
“Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts, and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil.
“The first duty of government is to keep the public safe – but by greenlighting oil and gas drilling, they endanger our survival while corporates and billionaires laugh their way to the bank.
“Every one of us feels alone and powerless in the face of this insanity, but we know there is massive political and public support for our demand.
“So we’re inviting everyone to join us at an online call on 3rd October 2026 – because it’s when we work together that we are powerful and win.”
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