There was good news for the industry on Tuesday (10 May) with signs holiday purchases are bucking the slowdown in consumer spending.
Tuesday also sees the Queen’s Speech, with new laws likely to include measures to curb environmental protests at airports, according to national press reports.
This comes as campaigners accuse the airline industry of missing its own targets to cut emissions.
Here are the key travel headlines making national bulletins on Tuesday 10 May.
Spending on holidays bucks trend again
Data from Barclaycard has revealed increases in spending on travel and foreign holidays. The credit provider, which processes nearly half of all card transactions, said consumer spending grew 18.1% in April as airlines and travel agents had the best month since the onset of the pandemic. Figures from the British Retail Consortium show total retail sales fell 0.3% in April as consumers tightened belts. (The Guardian)
Government to unveil 38 new bills in Queen’s Speech
New laws to ban environmental protests at airports will be among those unveiled in parliament today. A Public Order Bill would create a new criminal offence with a maximum sentence of 12 months for "interfering with key national infrastructure" such as airports and railways. (BBC News)
Climate change: 50/50 chance of breaching 2026 limit
The likelihood of crossing a key global warming threshold has risen significantly, according to UK Met Office researchers. They predict around a 50/50 chance the world will warm by more than 1.5C over the next five years. Such a rise would be temporary, but researchers are concerned about the overall direction of temperatures. (BBC News)
Aviation industry ‘missing its own climate targets’
The aviation industry has missed all but one of more than 50 climate targets it set itself over 20 years, according to campaigners. Climate group Possible says targets on fuel efficiency and increasing sustainable fuels have fallen foul of shifting goalposts or a "lack of reporting and public accountability”. (Sky News)
Sri Lanka unrest continues as MPs’ homes torched
Angry mobs in Sri Lanka have burned down several homes belonging to the ruling Rajapaksa family and MPs. A day of unrest saw prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa quit amid mass protests at his government’s handling of an economic crisis. It failed to calm demonstrators, who attempted to storm his official residence while he was inside. Seven people have died and more than 190 injured since Monday. (BBC News)
Airports struggling with queues as staff shortages continue
Birmingham and Manchester airport have again witnessed long queues for check-in, with some passengers missing flights. Birmingham, which laid off nearly half of its employees during the pandemic, said half its 15,000 customers were due to depart in its dawn peak, “so we took the decision to run security queues outside the terminal to avoid them getting tangled with check-in lines”. (The Telegraph)
Malaga leads crack down on stag and hen parties
Spain’s Costa del Sol region is to crackdown on "scandalous" hen and stag parties and is considering installing noise monitors in tourist apartments. Malaga is leading the way after hoteliers and local residents said they were fed-up with "Magaluf -style drunken tourism" in the historic city. (Daily Mirror)