EasyJet cancelled more flights on Sunday, as travel mayhem across the country continued for thousands. People flying to and from the UK faced more disruption, with flights being cancelled by easyJet and Wizz on Sunday (June 5).
Despite the challenges, which have seen thousands across the country told their holidays were cancelled, the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has rejected suggestions of calling in the army or relaxing Brexit rules to let European aviation worker into the UK to help sort the problem.
In a statement to the BBC, easyJet said: "We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers. We are doing all possible to fly them as soon as possible to their destination."
READ MORE When to check your flights with TUI, easyJet, Jet2 and more ahead of your holiday
It comes following tales of misery at Manchester Airport, particularly during the half-term break, that saw huge queues, three-hour waits for baggage, police rescuing abandoned flights and disruption which led to cancellations for more than 30,000 TUI customers.
It was reported by the BBC that easyJet cut a further 80 flights on Sunday, and said the cancellations, which included flights from Spain, France and Portugal come amid the "ongoing challenging operating environment". A smaller number of BA and Wizz Air flights to Gatwick were also cancelled.
Earlier today, June 5, Grant Shapps said cheaper labour could not always be the solution and argued that the aviation industry had “cut too far” when laying off staff during the coronavirus pandemic. The Transport Secretary told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme: “The answer can’t always be to reach for the lever marked, ‘more immigration’.
“In fact, in Europe they have got exactly the same problems. If you look at the problems they are having in Amsterdam this weekend, there are problems across Europe. There is not some pull that is going to relieve this.”
On fixing the issues, he said: “The industry itself needs to solve it, the Government doesn’t run airports, it doesn’t run airlines – the industry needs to do that. We did, of course, provide £8 billion of support to the sector, plus all that furlough money as well.
“So, the decision as to whether to lay off in the end were the airlines’ decisions and clearly now looking back they cut too far on that, but they are re-employing.”
He added: “The Army is not a snap solution to every problem. Secondly, they are being deployed in increasing numbers to eastern Europe, to the Baltics, in what is a war situation and that’s what the Army are principally there for.
“The airports and airlines will need to sort out this problem. The Government will give them every support, but I don’t anticipate that will include calling in the Army.”
