There is good news for Ryanair passengers too with a compensation victory, as well as for easyJet’s boss, who takes home a bumper pay packet.

Here are the key national news headlines affecting travel on Tuesday 13 December.

Near-total rail shutdown as strikes begin

Only around 20% of the nation’s trains are set to run today as union members on the railways begin several days of strike action. RMT members have rejected a 5% pay offer with another 4% next year, heralding six days of travel disruption. (BBC News)

‘No strike disruption’, says Heathrow boss

Heathrow has assured travellers their journeys will be unaffected by Border Force strikes, as the number of people using the airport falls. Members of the union PCS will walk out between 23 and 26 as well as 28 and 31 December at several UK airports. Chief executive John-Holland Kaye said: “Border Force has contingency measures to ensure other arriving passengers are cleared safely and as quickly as possible.” (City AM)

Ryanair to compensate passengers after court ruling

Ryanair is set to compensate travellers for strikes that took place over four years ago after it dropped a UK Supreme Court appeal. Passengers will now be able to submit claims, said Paul Smith, CAA consumer director. Passengers across Europe and the UK were hit by delays and disruption during summer 2018 after pilots and cabin crew members walked out. (City AM)

Malaysia Airlines crash was deliberate, new evidence suggests

A pilot on the doomed MH370 flight likely lowered the plane’s landing gear just before it plunged into the Indian Ocean, according to new evidence, suggesting premeditated mass murder. The Boeing 777 disappeared in 2014. Last month, a landing gear door was retrieved from Madagascan fisherman, which showed signs it had been opened. (The Telegraph)

Indonesia: No sex ban for tourists

Foreign tourists visiting Indonesia will not face prosecution for sex outside of marriage under the country’s harsh new criminal code, its justice ministry has confirmed. The criminal code, which will not be enacted for a further three years, imposes a prison sentence of up to one year for sex outside marriage. (The Telegraph)

Gatwick ‘breaks’ child amputee’s wheelchair

An eight-year-old double amputee was left stranded at Gatwick without his wheelchair for more than five hours. Tony Hudgell had his “needs ignored” after waiting for the wheelchair to arrive from the aircraft. When the £6,500 chair did finally arrive, it was “twisted and broken”, having been put on the conveyor belt. (The Telegraph)

EasyJet boss earns £3 million despite chaos

EasyJet’s chief executive was handed a pay package worth almost £3 million this year even after the airline made a substantial loss and cancelled thousands of flights because of a lack of staff. Johan Lundgren was given an annual bonus of £1.2 million on top of his fixed pay of £833,000, as well as shares worth £925,000. (The Times)

Six in 10 planning foreign trip

Six in 10 (61%) people have already started planning overseas trips for 2023, according to research. This is a higher proportion than last year, when 50% of people were planning their 2022 trips, American Express found. The findings indicate a quarter (25%) of holidaymakers have booked at least one element of their trip. (The Standard)

Pontins may house Channel migrants

Channel migrants could be put up at a Pontins holiday camp in a bid to cut taxpayers’ £6 million-a-day hotel bill for small boat arrivals. The Home Office is in negotiations to hire an 820-chalet camp at Camber Sands in East Sussex, an hour from Dover. (The Daily Mail)