European airlines have attacked some major airports for “their inability to cope with the quick uptick in passenger demand”. At a conference in Brussels, their representative organisation, Airports for Europe (A4E), is demanding there should be “no repeat of summer 2022 chaos”.
Tens of thousands of flights, particularly to and from the UK, have been cancelled – including some at the last minute with passengers on board their planes.
Long security queues at some airports, including Amsterdam, Dublin and Manchester, led to some travellers missing flights.
There have also been widespread complaints about misrouted luggage and long waits at baggage reclaim.
Thomas Reynaert, managing director of A4E, said “Airlines are dependent on a whole host of services to bring passengers from A to B on time.
“Too often over the summer, airlines have had additional challenges arise because of failings at airports, insufficient staff at ground handlers and ATC [air-traffic control] strikes.
“Often these issues arise at very short notice, making it difficult for airlines to adapt.
“Airlines are working tirelessly to meet passenger demand and ensure flights depart and arrive on time.
“We expect others to continue to engage positively and proactively as well to ensure we do not see the chaos of summer 2022 repeated.”
At a Eurocontrol event entitled Where to Next for European Aviation?, Mr Reynaert criticised caps imposed on airlines’ activities at airports such as London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Frankfurt.
Heathrow has confirmed to The Independent that its cap of 100,000 departing passengers a day – imposed ahead of the summer peak in July and August, and later extended – will be lifted when aviation winter schedules begin on 29 October.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “We took necessary action in July to introduce a temporary capacity cap which has since been extended through to the end of October.
“This cap resulted in fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality and shorter waits for bags.
“Our focus has always been on removing the cap as quickly as possible – but we will only do so if we are confident that adding in more passengers will not erode the service levels that the cap has secured.
“We continue to work with all of our airline partners ahead of the winter season to ensure a smooth operation for our passengers.”
The Independent understands Heathrow’s management will be focusing on peak spells – notably around Christmas and New Year – and seeking close airline compliance with planned schedules.
The new transport secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is expected to back airport expansion in a speech to the Conservative conference in Birmingham later today.
At a fringe meeting on on Monday evening, Ms Trevelyan said she was in favour of the controversial third runway at Heathrow. “Aviation is a really important part of our growth picture,” she said.
