TUI: why is UK airline going to stop serving hot and cold meals on its flights? Which airports are affected?

TUI passengers have been  warned that they may not have catering onboard their flight.

The airline said that flights from 15 UK airports will only have “limited” food for holidaymakers, and have even advised them to take their own food and drink on the plane.

This comes just days after TUI issued a warning to UK travellers about changes to passport rules ahead of the busy summer season.

But, will there be any food and drink available on TUI flights, what has the firm said about the situation and which flights and airports will be impacted?

Here’s everything you need to know.

What food and drink is still available on TUI flights?

Passengers will still have some food and drink options available on all TUI flights.

On some short and mid-haul flights, however, people will find that they only have limited snacks and drinks available to them instead of meals.

What has TUI said about the food and drink offering on their flights?

TUI has confirmed that there will be no hot or cold meals on their short and mid-haul flights for the foreseeable future due to “staff shortages”.

In a statement posted on their website on 5 May, TUI said: “We can confirm that unfortunately due to staff shortages with our catering supplier, there will be no hot and cold meals or sandwiches, and a limited offering of snacks and drinks, available onboard TUI Airways’ short and mid-haul flights over the coming days.

“Customers may therefore want to bring their own food and soft drinks onboard, although no alcohol is permitted.

“Any soft drinks over 100ml will need to be purchased after you have passed through security.”

This is because only liquids up to 100ml are permitted to be taken through airport security.

The firm added that the disruption will not affect their long-haul flights to Aruba, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Orlando and St Lucia and meal services on these flights will "continue to operate as normal."

Which airports are affected?

There are 15 UK airports affected by this limited food menu.

They are:

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Cardiff 
• Doncaster Sheffield 
• Dublin 
• East Midlands
• Edinburgh
• Exeter 
• Glasgow
• Humberside
• Leeds Bradford
• Luton
• Manchester
• Norwich
• Teesside

How long will the limited food menu be in place?

TUI did not give an indication of how long the limited food and drink offering will last, but said they are “continuously monitoring” the situation.

Their statement concluded: “Please be assured we are continuously monitoring the situation and working closely with our suppliers to limit the impact to the onboard service for our customers.

“We are directly contacting all customers impacted. We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

How can I find out more information?

For more information, you can visit the TUI website, speak to an advisor in your local store or call the TUI 24/7 holidayline.

You can find your local store using the TUI store finder.

Call the TUI 24/7 holidayline on 0203 451 2688.

You can also book a phone appointment to speak to someone about a new or existing holiday booking.