Bank holiday travel news – LIVE: Chaos on roads and trains expected amid traffic and engineering works

Today is the busiest-ever day for UK aviation, with 9,000 flights expected to take off and land

Almost all Canadian-UK routes are overnight with morning arrivals (AFP/Getty)

This end of May bank holiday is set to be a disruptive one for motorists, rail and air passengers.

The RAC is predicting the busiest end of May bank holiday on the roads for six years. It's also set to be the busiest day for UK aviation ever.

Meanwhile, key London stations are running amended services over the weekend.

There is also an ongoing security staff strike at Luton Airport.

Key Points

Around 22 million leisure trips planned for bank holiday weekend

[24 May 2019 08:36 · Cathy Adams]

Around 22 million car journeys will take place this weekend, 8 million more than last year and the highest number in six years.

According to data from the RAC, major UK roads will "bear the brunt of the traffic" this weekend.

An estimated 6.6 million trips are planned for tomorrow, the busiest day on the roads all weekend, followed by bank holiday Monday, which will see 5.6 million journeys – up from 2.9 million last year.

Today will see 5.3 million journeys, up from 4.5 million last year, and drivers today will likely experience "lengthy jams" thanks to the addition of regular weekday traffic.

[24 May 2019 08:43 · Cathy Adams]

If you're flying out of Luton airport this weekend, leave extra time.

Security staff at Luton airport walked out on Thursday 23 May and will remain on strike until 8.59pm on Monday 3 June.

The strike concerns the security guards responsible for searches, baggage checks and general security.

The union Unite claims strikes staged earlier in May caused “significant delays” at Britain’s fifth busiest airport.

Union members are striking over “heavy-handed” changes to shift patterns that mean around 120 guards will end up working 15 extra days a year and will only get nine weekends off annually.

Luton airport claims disruption to passengers will be minimal despite industrial action, and says there are contingency plans in place.

[24 May 2019 08:46 · Cathy Adams]

Today is predicted to be the busiest-ever day for UK aviation, as reported by The Independent's Simon Calder.

Friday 24 May is forecast to be the busiest-ever day for Britain’s airspace.

NATS, the air-traffic provider, told The Independent the present record of 8,854 movements a day – set on the corresponding day in 2018 – is likely to be broken. It represents a rate of one new aircraft every 10 seconds.

Wendy Howard-Allen, head of service performance for NATS, said: “From Friday through the half-term is going to be very busy. We’ve done a lot of work to optimise airspace.”

Many schools are breaking up for the half-term holidays today, adding to the usual demand on what is traditionally the busiest day of the week.

[24 May 2019 09:22 · Cathy Adams]

Simon Calder reports on a busy day for European aviation, with travellers warned of long delays today.

Eurocontrol in Brussels, which coordinates air-traffic control providers, is reporting: “Very busy Friday expected today across the network due to school holidays and high demand mainly in SW and SE Axis.”

That forecast includes a high level of traffic from the UK to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

The Eurocontrol warning continues: “Weather is impacting mainly Spain and France, expanding for the afternoon to north of Italy and Eastern Europe.”

[24 May 2019 09:26 · Cathy Adams]

There are several major engineering projects on UK railways this weekend.

There is an amended service in the Motherwell area on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May.

Major improvement work will take place at London Euston from Saturday 25 until Monday 27 May, shutting some lines.

There is an amended service between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street / Preston from Saturday 25 until Monday 27 May.

There is an amended service at London St Pancras International from Saturday 25 until Monday 27 May, affecting East Midlands Trains and Thameslink.

For information on specific works, see National Rail.

[24 May 2019 09:50 · Cathy Adams]

London's Piccadilly Line will not be operating to or from Heathrow airport from 00.01 tomorrow until Monday.

Customers can use the Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect from Paddington.

Britain's busiest airport has warned travellers to allow extra time.

[24 May 2019 10:22 · Cathy Adams]

Despite the industrial action taking place at Luton until 3 June, the London airport says that wait times at security are just three minutes long.

[24 May 2019 10:25 · Cathy Adams]

Highways England has said it has removed more than 700 miles of roadworks ahead of the spring bank holiday, which means more than 97 per cent of motorways and major A-roads will be free of roadworks.

Highways England’s customer service director, Melanie Clarke, says: "We’re doing everything we can to make journeys as smooth as possible for those travelling and that’s why we’re keeping around 97 per cent of the road network we manage, free from roadworks."

[24 May 2019 10:29 · Cathy Adams]

The RAC has predicted when major roads will be busiest this weekend. During the weekend, there will be 22.5 million car journeys.

Today, Friday 24 May, there will be 5.6 million car journeys taken. Roads will be busiest between 4pm and 7pm.

On Saturday 25 May and Sunday 26 May, roads will be busiest between 10am and 3pm.

Monday 27 May, roads will be busiest between 12pm and 4pm.

Drivers should avoid these busy times if possible.

[24 May 2019 11:44 · Cathy Adams]

If you're driving to Stansted airport today, be advised that a collision on the northbound lane has stopped traffic in both directions. Drivers should allow extra time for their journey.