There are also fears the return to school of millions of pupils in the UK this week could cause another surge in Covid-19 cases.

While UK hotels are reported to be struggling with the supply of clean linen due to a staycation boom and a lack of staff.

Here are the key headlines affecting travel on Monday (6 September).

Heathrow chaos as passengers face five-hour queues

Passengers travelling through Heathrow faced further delays on Saturday due to overcrowding at Terminal 5. The latest problems came after reports of passengers having to wait for up to five hours on Friday, with travellers complaining about not being provided with water, ventilation and toilet facilities. (The Telegraph)

Heathrow criticises Border Force for ‘unacceptable’ delays

The airport has criticised Border Force for “unacceptable queueing times” over the past few days. Heathrow said the immigration agency was not providing enough staff to process passengers. The Home Office, which has responsibility for Border Force, admitted wait times at Heathrow were “unacceptable”. (BBC News)

Millions of pupils return to school amid Covid spike fear

As children return to school in England and Wales this week, scientists are warning the new term could herald a spike in Covid cases in the coming weeks. The government has also yet to decide whether to vaccinate all 12 to 15-year-olds against the virus. (BBC News)

PM faces mutiny over plans to raise taxes for social care

Boris Johnson faces a potential Conservative party backlash as parliament returns from its summer break over the government’s plans to increase national insurance payments to help fund the NHS and improve social care provision for the elderly. (The Guardian)

Hotels air dirty-laundry problems as shortages leave linen cupboards bare

Properties in the UK are being forced to limit the changes of bed linen and delay the checking in of guests due to a boom in domestic holidays this summer combined with a shortage of laundry staff. (Financial Times)

Parts of England and Wales could see heatwave this week

Temperatures in parts of the UK could soar to up to 29C in the first three days of this week as part of a potential September heatwave, according to the Met Office. (Sky News)

Covid passports needed to avoid more lockdowns

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has confirmed that Covid status certification will be needed for people attending large venues and mass gatherings from the end of September. Zahawi said the move was “the right thing to do” to prevent spikes in infection rates and avoid further lockdowns in the UK. (The Times)