These major airlines have cancelled most flights due to lockdown - including EasyJet and Ryanair

A number of airlines have cancelled upcoming flights out of the UK, with more currently reviewing their schedules, due to the third national lockdown coming into effect.

Under current rules, both domestic and international holidays are banned, and international travel of any kind is only permissible if you have a valid reason for it, such as work.

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Here are all the airlines and holiday operators who have announced cancellations or have reviews of their flight schedules due at the time of publication.

TUI

TUI has halted all of its package holidays until at least mid-February, when the current lockdown is expected to end.

All scheduled TUI flights and holidays departing from an airport in England have been cancelled until mid-February, or 31 January in Scotland and Wales.

In a statement, the company clarified that those already abroad on a TUI holiday should continue as normal, unless contacted with further information.

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EasyJet

EasyJet will vastly reduce the number of flights it had planned to operate as of 10 January, with only a handful of flights left in operation to maintain “essential connectivity” internally in the UK, and to a handful of European destinations.

Passengers impacted by the cancellations will be offered a free transfer to a later date, a voucher or a refund.

In a statement, EasyJet said: “Given the ongoing impact of the pandemic on travel, we continue to call for sector specific support such as has been provided to hospitality, where decisions have directly affected their ability to trade. The same principle should be applied to aviation.”

Virgin Atlantic

Travel firm Virgin Atlantic has cancelled all holidays from the UK up to and including 14 February.

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In a statement, Virgin Atlantic said: "To simplify the options and to provide immediate peace of mind for customers whose holidays will no longer be going ahead, we're automatically providing a digital voucher for the value of their trip, redeemable up until 30 September 2021, which they can use to rebook a holiday, departing any time before 31 December 2022."

Customers may also request a refund.

Ryanair

Budget airline Ryanair has announced that it will cancel most of its scheduled flights to or from the UK and Ireland as of 21 January.

Customers affected by the cancellations will be contacted via email, with details about refunds.

Describing the lockdown restrictions in place as “draconian”, Ryanair said that it expects traffic in February and March to be reduced considerably.

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The airline also called on the Irish government to speed up its vaccination program.

Jet2

Jet2 has suspended all scheduled flights and holidays up to and including 11 February. However, this does not include ski flights or the firm’s Iceland programme.

A Jet2.com spokesperson said: “Due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and government travel restrictions, we have taken the decision to extend the suspension of flights and holidays up to and including February 11, 2021.

“Where customers yet to travel are affected by any programme changes, we have been repeatedly recognised for how we have been looking after them, and we will be automatically cancelling these bookings with a full refund.

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“For customers due to travel from February 12 onwards, we will provide another update closer to the time.”

Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook has also scrapped all plans for holidays in light of the lockdown, and has begun contacting customers with holidays booked which are likely to be affected.

A spokesperson for the online travel operator said: "Following the announcement of the latest lockdown, we are calling our customers to offer refunds or move their holidays to a later date.”

British Airways

British Airways has not yet announced mass cancellations or postponements. However, the airline has said it is in the process of reviewing its flight schedule for the next few weeks.

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In a statement, it said: "Our focus is on keeping crucial air links open - transporting vital goods and ensuring people who are permitted to travel can continue to do so safely.

"As always, if a customer's flight is cancelled we offer a range of options including a full refund.

"Customers due to depart by 12 February 2021 will be offered a refund for their holiday. Our teams continue to monitor the situation and update our policy accordingly.

"We advise customers to check the latest UK Government travel advice at Gov.uk and their latest flight information at ba.com. "

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