The head of easyJet blames Brexit in part for his numerous flight cancellations this summer.
The largest budget company in the UK has been eliminating between 30 and 60 services a day amid staff shortages, and today announced that it would prevent hundreds more during the summer.
Instead of running 97 percent of the pre-Covid summer program, easyJet now expects to operate 90 percent.
Johann Lundgren, chief executive of the airline, told The Independent that some of the operational problems were due to difficulties in hiring workers after Brexit: “The group of people is smaller, they are just maths.
“We have to reject a large number of EU citizens because of Brexit.”
The government has vehemently denied that the chaos seen at UK airports in recent months has anything to do with leaving the EU.
Last week, Aviation Minister Robert Courts told select business committee MPs that “it was unlikely” that Brexit would play a role in the chronic shortage of airlines and airports.
Heathrow, meanwhile, has asked airlines flying from Terminals 2 and 3 to cancel 10 percent of their schedules today due to growing problems with baggage handling.
An estimated 15,000 passengers on 90 flights will be affected.
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Stansted: Our tails “are no different from those before the pandemic”
London’s Stansted Airport has said its queues “are no different from those before the pandemic” after MP David Lammy tweeted criticizing his security queues and what he called “#BacklogBritain”.
Labor MP Lammy tweeted from the airport on Sunday, saying: “Another morning, another horrible queue at airport security! This time in Stanstead [sic]. Very good @BorisJohnson. Top notes @pritipatel Welcome to #BacklogBritain ”.
An airport spokesman defended the queue situation, saying a security queue “does not mean anything has gone wrong, nor is it different from the days before the pandemic”.
They added that customers who post photos on social media “don’t necessarily keep track when queues move very fast.”
“The security area is designed to filter up to 5,000 passengers per hour, so there will always be other passengers in the area,” the spokesman said.
Lucy Thackray June 20, 2022 4:52 PM
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“If you don’t have enough pilots, stop selling all flights”: American mother criticizes airlines
After thousands of cancellations in the United States over the past weekend, a mother has called her airline Delta, saying her son had to sleep on the floor of an airport due to the disruption.
“@Delta If you don’t have enough pilots, stop selling all flights,” wrote Nikki Weber.
“I’d rather pay more and arrive on time so my kids don’t sleep on the disgusting airport floor in the middle of the night waiting for your pilots to arrive.”
Meanwhile, Twitter user Caoimhe complained that his airline had reimbursed him for a flight that had been canceled, but withdrew US $ 30 from the reimbursement amount due to a “cancellation fee”. “.
Lucy Thackray20 June 2022 20:23
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Arrive three hours earlier on flights from the UK, says Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport expects to reopen departing flights on Tuesday, but warns UK passengers to show up three hours in advance.
The Belgian center has seen a strike by security staff working for G4S.
The airport tweeted: “We remind you that due to Monday’s national demonstration, there are no departing passenger flights. For Tuesday and Wednesday, we expect a large number of passengers due to the reservations of the reservations initially planned for Monday.
“For departures, please arrive at the airport on time: 2 hours before for Schengen flights and 3 hours before for non-Schengen flights. Check the status of your flight and prepare your hand luggage for limit control times.
“For flights arriving, please check the flight status on our website as flight schedules may be affected.”
Brussels Airport also explained its decision to close on Monday, saying: “This case of force majeure makes it impossible to guarantee the safety of passengers and staff. This decision is necessary to avoid chaotic situations.”
Simon Calder20 June 20, 2022 3:47 p.m.
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How do you know if your flight has been canceled?
It’s official: the chaos of last-minute flight cancellations seen in recent months has reached such a serious point that the Department of Transportation (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have intervened, warning airlines that they are now slowing down daylight saving time to avoid misery. later.
It follows numerous stories of passengers arriving at the airport, or even boarding the plane, only to learn that their flight had been stopped, shattering the vacation plans of thousands of passengers.
Gatwick, meanwhile, announced that it was limiting the number of daily operations in July and August to a maximum of 900 departures and arrivals to 825 and 850 respectively.
EasyJet passengers will carry the weight of canceled flights, and British Airways, Wizz Air, Tui, Norwegian and Ryanair are also expected to land.
But how do you know if your flight has been cut off and what are your rights if it is not executed? Read our guide:
Helen Coffey20 June 2022 20:48
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What has Heathrow Airport said about flight cancellations?
Heathrow Airport has asked airlines to cancel 10% of their flights today.
Management said the cuts were due to growing problems with its baggage handling services.
A Heathrow spokesman said: “We apologize unreservedly for the disruptions that passengers have suffered this weekend.
“The technical issues affecting the baggage systems have led us to make the decision to ask the airlines operating in Terminals 2 and 3 to consolidate their schedules on Monday 20 June.
“This will allow us to minimize the ongoing impact and we ask that all passengers consult with their airlines for the latest information.”
Lucy Thackray June 20, 2022 1:42 PM
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About 1,000 flights to the United States canceled on Sunday
The United States has not been exempt from the current chaos of travel: about 1,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the worst-hit airport.
Several U.S. airlines blamed staff shortages, illness and absence, as well as bad weather for the disruption.
After Delta canceled about 700 flights over the weekend, an airline spokesman cited a number of factors for the airline’s cancellations.
“A variety of factors continue to affect our operations, including challenges with air traffic control, weather and unscheduled absences in some working groups,” they said.
Other airports affected were Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, LaGuardia in New York and Newark Liberty; and Reagan Washington International of Washington DC.
Lucy Thackray June 20, 2022 1:21 PM
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Passengers miss flights to Amsterdam Schiphol in the middle of a four-hour queue
Several passengers at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport have used social media to unwind for a few hours in line, and some say they missed the flight.
Jessica Blank wrote: “We arrived 4 hours earlier, according to airport instructions, just to wait on the security line for more than 4 hours walking about 1.5 miles and still missing our flight. And all that I got these two stroopwafels … “
Chrissy Sorenson added: “I’ve been queuing for 2 hours now and it looks like I’m about to queue up. 4 hours isn’t enough unless you’re tidying up the disorganized system. It’s a joke.”
Meanwhile, Elisabeth Bik wrote: “It took us more than three hours to check in our luggage and go through security @schiphol. There’s no time for coffee, the boarding of our flight to San Francisco has just begun. Happy to have succeeded! “
Hafid Tilburg added: “Where did it go wrong with Amsterdam Airport @ Schiphol? 2 hours queuing for security check. At least I will give priority to families with young children and the elderly.”
Lucy Thackray20 June 2022 20:03
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British airlines borrow EU planes to avoid Brexit rules
Several UK airlines are borrowing European planes as loopholes to avoid recruitment problems caused by Brexit.
Airlines such as British Airways, easyJet and Tui have adopted the tactics of leasing aircraft from European airlines to circumvent post-Brexit rules on staff visas.
Following the Brexit transition, UK airlines require EU staff working on aircraft registered in the UK to have a British visa. However, renting a plane registered in the EU means you can have a crew resident in the EU.
Despite having its own aircraft stored, British Airways has leased a handful of aircraft to code-sharing partners Iberia (based in Spain) and Finnair (Finland).
Lucy Thackray June 20, 2022 12:38 PM
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EasyJet drops 7 percent of daylight saving time
The UK’s largest budget airline has confirmed it will cut hundreds of flights this summer as it struggles with its promised schedule.
Instead of running 97 percent of the pre-Covid summer program, easyJet now expects to operate 90 percent.
After a weekend in which dozens of flights were suspended shortly before, the airline said: “Travel demand has returned with passengers in April and May seven times in the same months last year. .
“Given the unprecedented rise, the aviation industry across Europe is experiencing operational problems with root causes similar to the post-Covid supply chain problems seen in many other parts of the economy.
“Challenges include delays in air traffic control and staff shortages in ground and airport service, which result in increased aircraft rotation times and delayed departures that have an effect. resulting in flight cancellations “.
Simon Calder20 June 2022 12:00
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Brussels Airport cancels all departing flights
No passenger flights take off from Brussels Airport all day on Monday due to a strike by security staff.
The Brussels center said in a statement: “Brussels airport has closed all departures due to a security strike.
“No flights departing on Monday, June 20.
“Because of the …