Dear Reader

WHISPER it, might this be the beginning of the end of the travel chaos?

Flight cancellations at London airports have been dropping this week and Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye has said the airport — one of the UK’s worst affected — is showing signs of recovery. Well, he would, wouldn’t he.

But the industry is still feeling the heat. So too is Britain, as parts of the country are expected to bake in a blistering 37 C today.

How will our transport system cope? Runways melted and train lines buckled last month when the mercury soared to 40 C.

These heatwaves, however, aren’t just having short-term effects on travel. Europe is likely to see its summers stretch until mid-October, allowing a new timetable for our holidays; think the Costas in October, Greek Islands in November.

Much like the temperatures this week, the cost of short-haul flights continue to spiral. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said on Thursday that the days of the £10 flight are over, while new research shows how airfares have increased by a third this summer compared to pre-Covid prices. A quick scan online reveals how the cheapest return flights to Lanzarote during the October half-term would cost £754pp — a shocking £3,000 for a family of four on flights alone.

Thankfully, fares to far-flung destinations are holding steady, with direct return Aer Lingus flights to Barbados in November on offer for as little as £395pp.

If this ferocious heat continues, we’ll soon be copying our continental cousins; taking siestas and eating gazpacho like the Spanish, installing shutters like the Italians and heading north to cooler climes in the summer months to escape the heat.

Frankly, I’d much rather be in Helsinki, Finland (above), this weekend than Rome or Athens.

So fasten your seatbelts — the airport chaos may be cooling but the travel industry is as turbulent as ever.