Passengers catching flights from UK airports have been told to 'carry only hand luggage'. The advice has come from the GMB union in bid to help people avoid the airport chaos which has seen so many families disappointed this half term.
Andy Prendergast, the national secretary of the union which represents aviation workers, told the Daily Telegraph: “If individuals can check in online and don’t take luggage, that limits the disruption. It’s not a magic bullet, however it does scale back the prospect of there being issues.”
The advice has been criticised as unfeasible for families. Martin Chalk, general secretary of the pilot’s union Balpa, told the Guardian : “That is not Balpa’s advice – pilots want to give a full professional service at all times. We are frustrated when delays and cancellations happen, working hard to avoid them whenever possible.
"However, the first priority is always safety and so when there aren’t the experienced staff available to ensure the operation is safe, delays and cancellations are inevitable.”
Crowded airports and disappointed travellers have been a major feature of the news this week as half-term breaks were nixed by the situation. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after letting thousands of people go during the coronavirus pandemic.
Airlines and airports repeatedly called for sector-specific financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government travel restrictions suppressed demand, PA reports. They are now struggling to recruit new workers and have their security checks processed.
Earlier this week, Mr Prendergast said it was “disingenuous” for the Transport Secretary to speak out about chaotic scenes at Britain’s airports as issues with staffing “have been on the radar for a long time”. Grant Shapps said on Wednesday (June 1) the aviation industry must “do their bit” to resolve problems which have led to the disruption.
Mr Prendergast told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme on Thursday: “This unfortunately was a foreseeable problem, it was one we warned about at the point at which the mass redundancies were made. We asked the Government to look at the aviation industry as a special case and they refused.
"And now, quite frankly, for Grant Shapps to come out as he has in the last 24 hours is a little bit disingenuous considering these problems have been on the radar for a long time.”
