MPs have slammed TUI after the airline announced they were cancelling nearly 200 flights from Manchester Airport over the next month - but declined to say which ones.
The holiday operator said earlier it was pulling 186 flights, a total of six a day and 43 a week, due to staff shortages and other "ongoing challenges" in their operation at Manchester Airport - understood to be the only hub in the country impacted by the planned raft of cancellations.
It means the holiday plans of 34,000 passengers are to be left in tatters. The firm has declined to answer the Manchester Evening News’ requests for a list of those services impacted, instead simply saying they will be contacting all affected customers by text or email by the end of today.
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They have said they will receive a full refund. However, two Greater Manchester MPs - former airport boss Graham Stringer and Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner - say that will be of little comfort to families many of whom will have been looking forward to their first holiday in a number of years following the pandemic.
They have now hit out at the company's treatment of customers and accused them of a lack of transparency.
MP for Ashton-under-Lyne Ms Rayner said: “To have a holiday cancelled at the last minute is a real kick in the teeth for families in my constituency and across Greater Manchester, many of whom were looking forward to their first time abroad since the pandemic.
“Problems of delays, cancellations and baggage issues at Manchester Airport have been well documented for the past few months and this is yet another blow for travellers who were hoping to get away for the half-term holiday and Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
“TUI say they will cancel 43 flights a week between now and the end of June but are refusing to say which ones will be affected which is only serving to add to the chaos and confusion at a time when their customers desperately need transparency and clarity.
"The offer of a refund will be small comfort to families who have long been looking forward to getting away.”
Earlier today, video footage emerged of a police officer informing passengers who had been queueing for one TUI flight to the Greek island of Kos on Saturday that they would not be jetting off before asking them to collect their luggage before leaving the airport.
And Blackley and Broughton Graham Stringer accused the company of treating passengers with "complete contempt."
Mr Stringer, who led Manchester Council during the 1990s and who was chairman of the airport board from 1996 to 1997, said of TUI: "I think the treatment of customers from beginning to end has been appalling.
"They have treated them with complete contempt. They didn't try to speak to passengers who had been queuing to get on the plane and left it with police officers to tell them, and Manchester Airport staff. It's totally contemptuous.
"I hope people remember when they come to book flights in the future what a disregard Tui have had for their customers.
"Airlines that have gone bust have often behaved better than before they went into receivership." He said if he were a customer he "would not be flying with them again."
"Everyone knows it's been difficult for airports and airlines to try and come back from only using five percent of their capacity to 100 percent overnight," he said, describing government restrictions on the aviation industry as "unnecessary" and "over the top."
"But just because it's difficult doesn't mean you should disregard the comfort and passengers or the information they deserve to have" he added.
He said not providing a full list of cancelled flights was another example of the "contempt" in which they were holding paying passengers.
"They should be using the M..E.N and other media outlets so if people miss their direct text they've still got a chance to get the information." Adding that doing so could avoid several wasted trips to the airport at a time when it was already struggling with queues.
TUI did not respond directly to the MPs comments. They said that the 'incredibly difficult' decision was the result of a "sudden increase’ in people going on holiday combined with ‘various operational and supply chain issues’ had impacted a ‘small number of flights’.
In a statement, they said: "We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight disruption in recent days and understand that they have been looking forward to these holidays for a long time.
"The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different.
"Unfortunately, due to ongoing challenges in our operation, we have had to announce a small number of planned cancellations between now and 30 June from Manchester Airport only.
"We are directly contacting all impacted customers in departure date order and they will automatically receive a full refund.
"We can reassure our customers that the remainder of our flying programme is expected to operate as planned.
"We’d like to apologise again for the inconvenience caused and we thank customers for their understanding and patience during this time."
A spokesman from Manchester Airport said it was clear TUI were "experiencing temporary staff shortages, in common with other aviation and travel companies."
Asa result they said that they "understand TUI’s difficult decision to cancel a number of services over the course of the next month" but are "obviously disappointed to see passengers’ plans disrupted in this way."
"We will continue to work with TUI, Swissport and other partners to give passengers the best possible service as the travel sector builds back to full strength after the pandemic" they added.
