A fresh batch of flight cancellations could ruin the getaway plans of British holidaymakers.
British Airways' (BA) Heathrow services will bear the brunt of the new wave of cuts, the Telegraph reports, and airlines have been given a deadline of this Friday to tell officials at the airport which flights will be axed.
BA had previously planned to carry 1.8 million passengers across more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow during July alone.
The cancellations, which have been triggered by an amnesty on take-off and landing slots, add to the travel chaos expected for the rest of the summer as airlines struggle to recruit staff in time to keep up with a sharp increase in demand for international flights.
The shortfall of airport workers has also caused longer waiting times for travellers when checking in and going through security, as well as more luggage going missing.
Travellers were stuck in long queues on Friday after easyJet staff in Spain went on strike, with further walkouts planned across Europe in the coming days.
BA - the biggest airline at Heathrow - will need to reallocate 80 to 85 per cent of its passengers whose flights have been scrapped in recent days. But the airline says it welcomes the measures.
A spokesperson said the amnesty will “help us to provide the certainty our customers deserve by making it easier to consolidate some of our quieter daily flights to multi-frequency destinations well in advance”.
“Slot alleviation allows airlines to temporarily reduce their schedules but still retain their slots for the next year to maintain networks and provide consumers with certainty and consistency,” BA said in a statement.
“Allocating slots according to the (World Airport Slots Guide system) means airlines can offer the consistent services and efficient connections that consumers are looking for and protect jobs and create growth in the UK.”
Meanwhile, easyJet cabin crew started a nine-day walkout across bases in Barcelona, Malaga, and Palma on Friday.
Members of Spain's USO union announced plans to strike last month after the budget airline confirmed 11,000 flights would be cut from its summer schedules. The union is calling for a 40 per cent pay increase in the basic wage of low-paid cabin staff.
The threat of industrial action is also continuing to loom in Britain after union members voted overwhelmingly to strike over pay – although no dates have been announced. BA staff are demanding the 10% of pay they had “stolen” from them last year as they faced “ fire and rehire” tactics during the pandemic.
