Air passengers have faced major disruption this week, as more than 8,000 flights globally have been cancelled – and the turmoil looks set to continue into the new year, with thousands more cuts on the horizon.

Both British Airways and Ryanair have slashed their January 2022 schedules, while rising case rates, new border restrictions and staff shortages due to isolation continue to affect airline scheduling and passenger demand. If your flight is one of the thousands that have been cancelled, here’s what you need to know.

Which flights are affected?

8,000 flights and counting have now been grounded since the Christmas holidays, estimates airline tracking site flightaware.com. Crews testing positive or in isolation are responsible for many flights being cancelled in the US, while Asian countries are cancelling flights as a precaution in the face of the sharp rise of the omicron variant.

Meanwhile in the UK, The Telegraph understands that staff shortages from surging omicron cases have caused major disruption at Heathrow Airport throughout this week. On Boxing Day alone, more than 60 Heathrow flights were cancelled, including both short- and long-haul journeys.

Will the disruption continue into January?

Further cancellations are looking increasingly likely, as the global case rate remains high. According to the WHO, the number of worldwide cases has increased by 11 per cent since last week, so flight disruption may also be on the rise.

And even without last-minute issues, thousands of flights have already been cancelled for the first few months of 2022. In early December, British Airways removed more than 2,000 flights from its schedules until March, telling the media: “Like other airlines, due to the continuing Coronavirus pandemic we are operating a reduced and dynamic schedule.”

Meanwhile, Ryanair has cut its January schedule by a third – including routes to Spain, France and Morocco – citing the impact of omicron-related border closures. An airline spokesperson said: “The impact of recent government travel restrictions, in particular the ban on UK arrivals into France and Germany, and the suspension of all EU flights to/from Morocco has lowered Ryanair’s expected December traffic from 10 to 11 million, to a lower range of between nine to 9.5 million.

“In responding to these restrictions, Ryanair has now cut its January capacity by 33 percent, reducing its expected January traffic from approximately 10 million to six to seven million.”

If the current pressures continue, it is highly likely that other airlines will follow suit.

How will I know if my flight is cancelled?

You will be contacted directly by the airline, so keep an eye on your emails and text messages. If your flight is operating under UK law (for example, you’re flying with a UK airline, or departing from a UK airport on any airline), then your airline must let you choose between a refund and an alternative flight.

If you choose the former, you can get a refund for all parts of the ticket you haven’t used – not just the one affected by the cancellation. For example, if you have booked a return flight and the outbound journey is cancelled, you will receive the full cost of the return ticket from your airline. And if you opt for an alternative flight, you don’t have to accept the airline’s first offer: see the latest advice from the Civil Aviation Authority.

I am abroad and my flight has been cancelled – what should I do?

If your flight home has been cancelled, await further details from your airline. If it offers a refund, be cautious: if you accept a refund from your airline or cancel your own flight, you are ending the airline’s responsibility to get you home.

Can I get a refund or rebook my travel Covid tests?

This depends entirely on your testing provider, and their own terms and conditions. In some cases, you may be able to postpone or rebook your Covid tests – provided you have proof of the cancellation of your flights or holiday, such as an email that you can forward to the testing provider. Always check the small print, as exclusions may well apply.

In some cases, or if the date of travel has passed, it can be easier to apply for a voucher to use against future test bookings, rather than chasing after a cash refund.