Elsewhere, a shortage of taxi drivers has left holidaymakers scrambling for airport transfers across European holiday hotspots such as Spain and France, while a collapsed stage at a Valencia music festival killed one and left 40 injured over the weekend.

Here are the headlines that travel woke up to on Monday morning (15 August).

Taxi driver shortages across Europe
Tourists have faced long waits for airport transfers across European holiday hotspots such as Majorca and Paris as taxi companies struggle to recruit drivers who left the industry during the pandemic. (The i)

Rail fares rise below inflation
The government has pledged to spare passengers a double-digit rise in rail fares and is devising a more competitive flexible season ticket to soften the impact of soaring prices. Grant Shapps has intervened ahead of Wednesday’s announcement of the July retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation, which could exceed 12 per cent after it hit 11.8 per cent in June. Fares are raised each January by a formula based on the RPI rate of the previous July. (The Times)

Sir Keir Starmer sets out Labour’s plan to freeze energy price cap
Sir Keir Starmer is calling for the energy price cap to be frozen this autumn as households across the UK feel the pinch amid the cost of living crisis. The Labour leader says the price cap, which is the maximum that firms in England, Wales and Scotland can charge an average customer for energy costs, should remain at £1,971. Energy analysts have predicted that typical energy bills could rise to approximately £3,500 in October and more than £4,200 in January. (Sky News)

SAS secures $700 million financing to aid restructuring
Scandinavian airline SAS said on Saturday (13 August) it entered into an agreement with Apollo Global Management to raise $700 million of fresh financing it needs to see it through bankruptcy. The airline filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States in early July to help cut debt after the collapse of wage talks between the airline and its pilots, triggering a 15-day strike that added to travel chaos across Europe. (Reuters)

One killed in stage collapse at Spain festival
One man died and at least 40 others were injured when high winds caused parts of a stage to collapse at the Medusa Festival near Valencia in Spain early on Saturday. The popular electronic music festival was later suspended. The dead man was in his 20s, local media say. Three of the injured suffered serious traumas. Eyewitnesses spoke of a sudden sand storm hitting the festival venue. Spain’s meteorological agency reported gusts of winds exceeding 50mph in the country’s eastern coastal region at the time. (BBC news)

Flash floods, thunderstorms warning after UK heatwave
The Met Office is warning of flash floods, thunderstorms and lightning this week as the latest blistering heatwave comes to an end. The Met Office has implemented a yellow severe weather warning across the UK that runs until 11.59pm tonight (15 August) for Scotland and Northern Ireland and until 11.59pm tomorrow (16 August) for all of England and Wales. Motorists have been warned to expect difficult driving conditions, while train and bus services are likely to be disrupted and power cuts are possible. (The Mirror)

Brexit intensifies labour shortages as companies struggle to hire
Brexit has exacerbated the UK’s labour shortages over the past year, with industries most reliant on freedom of movement hit hard, according to a report led by academics from Oxford university. The research found that in parts of the economy such as hospitality and corporate support services there had been large declines in the number of EU workers, a substantial rise in vacancies and few opportunities for employers to recruit from non-EU countries. (Financial Times)