Gatwick Airport has failed in its bid to secure an emergency freeze on new relaxed runway slot rules after a High Court judge refused the request on Friday.
The UK government temporarily reduced the “use it or lose it” slot usage requirement at major UK airports from the standard 80 per cent down to 70 per cent, citing disruptions to shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The government argued those disruptions threatened the viability of jet fuel supplies, making a temporary relaxation of slot rules a necessary and urgent measure.
The Airports Slot Allocation Regulations 2026 officially took effect on Friday, 19 June, prompting Gatwick to rush to court seeking an immediate emergency freeze on the new requirements.
Gatwick is a hub for low-cost carriers and relies heavily on aircraft movements to generate landing and handling fees, meaning less pressure on airlines to use their slots directly affects the airport’s revenues.
A Gatwick spokesperson had previously said: “Currently there are no reported fuel shortages – we continue to monitor the situation closely and liaise with government and our airlines.”
The spokesperson added: “We consider that the UK government’s actions in bringing in the regulations are at odds with the guidance and protections that other countries are following.”
Mr Justice Chamberlain of the High Court refused the immediate freeze, noting that Gatwick’s argument that the government acted completely “irrationally” during an urgent international situation represented a very high legal hurdle to clear.
The judge also raised concerns about Gatwick’s failure to offer financial guarantees, stating: “It is surprising that the claimant did not offer any undertaking in damages.”
When pressed by Mr Justice Chamberlain, Gatwick offered to cap its liability at £1m and proposed that any freeze apply only to Gatwick itself, rather than across all affected airports.
The judge determined that the limited liability offer and the airport-specific scope of the proposed freeze were too complicated to resolve without a full formal hearing.
The court is set to hold a formal hearing on Monday to consider the question of interim relief, giving Gatwick another opportunity to make its case before a judge.
A further rolled-up hearing has also been scheduled at a later date to accelerate the trial and determine both whether Gatwick has legal standing to bring the lawsuit and, if so, which side ultimately prevails.
The outcome of that hearing could have significant implications for how the UK government manages airport slot policy during periods of international supply chain disruption.