The United Kingdom’s Department for Transport is tabling plans to allow carriers to preemptively adjust their schedules and protect slot rights in cases of underuse, in anticipation of fuel supply shortages this summer. Airlines will be provided with the flexibility to lock in their schedules early, allowing for the consolidation and merging of flights on routes with multiple trips per day, saving fuel and preventing last-minute cancellations. Building on a slot coordinator decision made in April, airlines will also be allowed to proactively ‘hand back’ proportions of their slots without losing rights to operate them next season. The department clarified that airlines are not currently experiencing fuel shortages.