British Airways is also in the news following a management shake-up and a row over cancellation compensation, while a green fuel supplier’s credentials are questioned.

Here are the travel headlines making the national press on Wednesday 11 May.

Cost-of-living crisis: 1.5m ‘will struggle’

An estimated 1.5 million households across the UK will struggle to pay food and energy bills over the next year as rising prices and higher taxes squeeze budgets, according to new research. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicted the UK will fall into recession this year. (BBC News)

Government hints at cost-of-living announcement

Boris Johnson has hinted at an announcement addressing the cost-of-living crisis in coming days, but the Treasury swiftly denied plans for an emergency budget. The prime minister came under pressure over the surge in prices facing British households during the Commons debate on the Queen’s Speech, which sets out the government’s agenda. (Sky News)

British Airways ‘refusing Covid cancellation refunds’

British Airways has been accused of rejecting compensation claims for flights grounded because of staff shortages. BA has told customers the pandemic “is an external factor, which is beyond the control of the airline and is an ‘extraordinary circumstance’” and outside EU261 compensation rules. (The Independent)

Management shake-up at British Airways

British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle has put new executives in charge of airline’s operations, technology and customer services as he struggles to deal with a spate of disruption and cancellations to flights that have dented its recovery from the pandemic. (Financial Times)

Sustainable Aviation Fuel firm accused of ‘greenwashing’

Oil company Neste, which claims to be the world’s largest producer of sustainable biofuels, has palm oil suppliers that cleared at least 10,000 hectares of forest in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia between 2019 and 2020, according to a study by Friends of the Earth. The claim emerged after the band Coldplay signed a deal with Neste (The Guardian)

Boys arrested after harassing women in Egypt

Thirteen teenage boys have been arrested and accused of harassing two women tourists at the Giza Pyramids near Cairo. The arrests came after a video surfaced on social media showing a crowd of boys swarming around two young women at the famous archaeological site. (The Daily Mail)