Holidaymakers arriving at airports across the country today faced further chaos after several flights were cancelled amid continuing staff shortages.
Experts warned the disruption will hit family holidays this summer and could continue for 18 months. This came as thousands of British Airways workers were balloted for industrial action, including its call centre staff in Newcastle, reports The Mirror.
Today alone, budget airline easyJet cancelled 60 services to and from the UK, Wizz Air scrapped seven flights, and British Airways cancelled 124 Heathrow flights, though the airline said affected passengers were given advance notice.
The shambles, which no-one seems able to sort out, has been caused by issues including airlines struggling to recruit new staff. Critics say they were too quick to axe workers at the start of the Covid crisis and have been selling too many tickets, gambling that they would hire enough new crew in time.
John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow chief, said airlines and airports needed to "plan much better" to avoid further cancellations and delays this summer. He added: "I think it will take 12 to 18 months for the aviation sector to fully recover capacity."
Kully Sandhu, managing director of Aviation Recruitment Network, said it was struggling to fill more than 250 posts, from baggage handlers and shop workers to lorry drivers. He added: "Some companies were offering signing-on bonuses of "anything from £500 to between £1,500 and £2,000.
"It could be up to 12 months before we see staffing at airports back to pre-pandemic levels."
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, represents independent travel agents. She said: "About 30% of all calls that they’re receiving now are from customers who have bookings for July and August and they are worried."
As well as the call centre staff in Newcastle, it has been reported that BA engineers at Heathrow, Gatwick and in Scotland are involved in the strike ballot, in addition to Manchester call centre staff. Meanwhile, hundreds of their check-in colleagues at Heathrow began voting today on whether to go on strike in a row over pay.
The GMB union said it was due to a 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic still not being reinstated. National officer Nadine Houghton said: "British Airways faces a gruelling summer of travel chaos if they won’t give these workers what’s theirs."
BA responded: "It’s disappointing. After two years which saw the business lose £4billion, these colleagues were offered a 10% payment for this year which was rejected."
And BA is not the only company embroiled in a pay dispute - Unite has warned that Ryanair flights from Stansted could face "serious disruption" this summer due to its disagreement with a ground handling firm.
Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, is not expected to discuss strikes with BA until the results of the ballot are counted after the June 23 cut off. However, Department for Transport officials will today hold internal meetings to draw up plans to stop any travel chaos over the summer holidays.
They will discuss flashpoints with airlines and airports including over-booking and taking customers' money without the capacity. A DfT source said: "We can’t have a repeat of what happened over half-term, and will be talking to them,” said a DfT source."
Both easyJet and Wizz Air apologised for today's cancellations, with the former adding that it operated over 1,600 flights today.
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