Britons travelling to Europe will face strict new entry rules from October after Brussels agreed a “phased” roll-out will go ahead

BREAKING: Govt has approved Luton Airport expansion despite the planning inspectorate saying it should be rejected on environmental concerns — including because of an old tree ✈️ - new terminal will double the airport’s capacity

TRAVEL: Gatwick says its security scanners have been upgraded so no more need to take laptops and liquids out of bags (or have them in a clear plastic bag) ✈️ - BUT crucially, 100ml rule STILL APPLIES as it does at all UK and EU airports - the era of the tiny toiletry runs on

BREAKING: Heathrow operations to begin from c.7pm this evening. Airlines being advised what flights they can operate, The Times understands ✈️

HEATHROW: Senior sources at Heathrow have told The Times that the airport does have back-up power systems but the fire at the power substation is unprecedented. The source said that “activating contingencies for the whole airport requires some time,” adding: “It isn’t immediate”

HEATHROW: This @flightradar24.com map shows all flights that were supposed to be INBOUND to Heathrow. Many have turned back over the Atlantic. - Disruption from this will last for days - Passengers urged not to travel to Heathrow

HEATHROW: 200,000 passengers affected today with at least 1,350 flights cancelled ✈️ - Biggest shutdown since the 2010 ash cloud - Airlines have duty of care to passengers but no compensation due (but food and accommodation must be paid)

NEW: Gatwick says it stands ready to help with diversions. Hundreds of flights, especially from the USA, have turned back overnight after Heathrow announced its closure

BREAKING: Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, will be CLOSED all of Friday ✈️ - Airport closed due to a “significant power outage” caused by a fire in an electrical substation. - More than 120 aircraft in the air diverting to alternate airports or returning

Not sure there’ll be much booze Politico …

@veronikakoller.bsky.social Hi - I'm a journalist at The Times working on a story about trains that I think you might be able to help with. Would you be able to follow me so I can DM you? Thank you!

EXCL: Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, says she is not a “flight-shaming eco-warrior” as she gives the strongest indication yet that a major expansion of Gatwick will be approved on Thursday www.thetimes.com/article/e0bd...

BREAK: Planned strikes by train drivers on London’s Elizabeth Line on Thursday and Saturday have been called off following a new pay offer, Aslef announced 🚇

TIMES EXC: London to Milan direct by train? Plans to increase St Pancras' capacity from 1,800p/hr to 5,000 passengers could unlock a huge expansion of international services 🚆 - Richard Branson's Virgin one of two operators eyeing international trains from London

BREAKING: ELIZABETH LINE STRIKE — Drivers on the Elizabeth Line in London will walk out on Thursday 27 February, Saturday 1 March, Saturday 8 March and Monday 10 March - Expect no services to run on strike days and a knock-on either side

Flags in Turkey flying at half mast on a day of national mourning after the hotel fire at the Kartalkaya ski resort, which killed at least 76 people yesterday. Lots of sadness about the fire at the Ercİyes Ski Resort, where I’m visiting and is full of families enjoying the school holidays 🇹🇷

NEW: Mick Lynch has announced he is to retire as general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union

NEW: West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service: “We are currently responding to a small fire involving a passenger train at Gatwick railway station, South Terminal.” No trains are calling at the station and passengers evacuated to south terminal 🚒🧯🚆

NEW: Bristol Airport flights suspended because of snow ✈️❄️☃️ A spokesperson for the airport says that their teams are "working hard on snow clearing but challenging weather means that flight operations have been suspended until later tonight."

NEW: Tube and rail fares in London will increase by 4.6% from March 2 next year, the capital’s mayor Sadiq Khan has announced. Daily caps will rise by between 40p and 70p depending on what zones are travelled through. Bus and tram fares will be frozen at £1.75 for unlimited journeys within an hour

Meanwhile over at Liberal Democrat HQ: “Ed Davey has pledged that he will do a sky-dive in the new year if his Christmas single ‘Love is Enough’ gets at least 10,000 downloads next week, as it vies for the Christmas Number One spot.”

Passengers face rail misery this Christmas as train operators battle to convince drivers to work overtime shifts on their days off. Scores of services are being cancelled at the last minute because train operators do not have enough staff and drivers are rejecting overtime

EXC: Yesterday a British Airways pilot on a flight from Singapore accidentally deployed the oxygen masks to the entire cabin Source: “There are two buttons. They obviously hit the wrong one and gave the passengers in the back a shock” ✈️

Network Rail has announced that the massive Euston advertising screen will be used ... to display travel information A result for miserable passengers

Aerodynamic as a house brick with a pretzel-shaped steering wheel, this electric concept car is an ode to modern absurdity | ✍️ Giles Coren

🔺NEW: Louise Haigh was convicted of fraud after a mobile phone that she reported to police as stolen was used to call one of her relatives, The Times has been told ⬇️

BREAKING: Heidi Alexander, Swindon South MP, has been appointed Transport Secretary, replacing Louise Haigh, Downing Steet said

Starmer’s reply to Louise Haigh reminds me of the “Headmaster’s comments” on our end of year reports as we went off to university Possibly the headmaster even wrote a little more

The “passenger in chief” is off: Louise Haigh resigns as Transport Secretary. Y’day she launched her new transport plan and the rail renationalisation bill got royal assent — two things she was incredibly proud of. Yet by nightfall @thetimes.com revealed a criminal conviction and she’s off

A lovely pour

Waymo robot cabs offer a smooth and only occasionally hair-raising trip — but how many of us will miss human interaction?

BREAKING: Gatwick Airport confirms the "security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police." The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly. Trains will also start calling at Gatwick once the terminal is fully reopened. #travel

GATWICK: EasyJet largely flies from Gatwick North Terminal but with train station closed in the south many passengers face missing their flights ✈️ Airline spox tells me that it will rebook people for free if they miss their flights #travel

BREAKING: The Times has been told that a suspicious package was identified in the central security screening area at Gatwick south terminal ✈️ - Explosives experts are on the scene assessing the threat

Train announcement on the London-Brighton line told us suspicious package on a platform in the station. Comes after another package detonated outside the US Embassy...

NEW: Gatwick Airport south terminal evacuated by police and flights suspended ✈️

EXC: British Airways tells staff last night’s IT outage lasted 95 minutes but no cancellations ✈️ “Our back-up network kicked and we were then able to calculate and distribute load sheets and flight plans,” staff told in email Priority systems were back within 61 minutes – at 6.11pm #travel #BA

Hello Bluesky. I cover transport and travel at @thetimes.com in London ✈️🚆🚢 That’s aviation to electric cars, rail and cycling. Also autonomous cars, flying taxis, HS2 and the future of how we move. Plus a dose of sunshine with travel trends and destination bits 🏖️ Do get in touch with tips 📩

LATEST on British Airways IT failure: Systems being restored and planes beginning to take off but knock on will be huge ✈️ - Some flights likely to be cancelled because of air traffic control restrictions - Delays 1-2 hours after a "number of systems" #travel #BA #Aviation

BREAKING: Understand that British Airways IT systems have failed with planes unable to take off, phone lines down and pilots in the dark ✈️ - Source says queues building at Heathrow Terminal 5 #aviation #BA #travel

🗞️ More and more Times and Sunday Times journalists and staff are joining BlueSky. We’ll be updating this starter kit as they do so, you should give them a follow 👇