Travel chaos is going to get WORSE this summer, experts warn
THE current travel chaos plaguing Brits is only going to get worse this summer, more experts have warned.
The cancellation of thousands of flights and long queues at airports in recent months have been caused by a number of issues, including staffing shortages and a slow recruitment process.
Leaders in the industry, when asked in the Commons this morning, said it was unlikely the summer was going to get any better.
Oliver Richardson, Unite National Officer for Civil Air Transport, said when asked if it will improve by summer: "Unless we work together, no."
This was echoed by Swissport's Managing Director Jude Winstanley, along with Airline Operators Association Chief Executive Karen Dee who said they "hoped it would be better," but wouldn't totally.
Mr Richardson said there was a "correlation" between airlines that made large job cuts during the pandemic and those cancelling the most flights right now.
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He told the Commons' Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee: "Where you look at the league tables of who was worst in terms of cancellations and who was better, it almost exactly corresponds [with] the companies that carried out the most redundancies and the most significant changes in terms and conditions, and those that didn't.
"For example, Ryanair were very clear, we negotiated an agreement with them, the basis of the agreement was no redundancies.
"So they are in a different position from the likes of British Airways, who went through fire and rehire."
British Airways made around 10,000 staff redundant, followed by easyJet who made 2,000 redundant - both airlines have had the most cancellations.
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BA has cancelled around 16,000 flights between March and October while easyJet is cancelling 600 flights this month.
TUI has also cancelled around 180 flights this month, while airlines Jet2 and Ryanair have made minor cancellations.
MPs have been told that both the aviation industry and the Government must "shoulder the responsibility" for the chaos suffered by airline travellers.
Sue Davies, head of consumer rights at consumer group Which? accused airlines of selling tickets when "they don't know for sure that those flights are actually going to be able to go".
In response, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a statement: "It’s important that each airline reviews afresh its plans for the remainder of the summer season until the end of September to develop a schedule that is deliverable.
"While cancellations at any time are a regrettable inconvenience to passengers, it is our view that cancellations at the earliest possibility to deliver a more robust schedule are better for consumers than late notice on the dayc cancellations."
Just a few days ago, easyJet pilots warned Brits to expect "frightening"; disruption levels this summer, with more flight cancellations.
The letter, written by the easyJet branch of the French SNPL pilot's union, said: "Literally hundreds of employees in distress have fed back how chaotic our operations have become recently, to unprecedented levels.
"We are actually convinced that our disruption hasn’t even peaked yet and frankly this is a frightening prospect."
This echoes airport union Prospect's general secretary Mike Clancy who previously said the current chaos was unlikely to be solved by next month.
He told : "It would be difficult to give anybody the confidence at the present minute, that we are going to be okay by the school holidays in July."
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Amidst the latest travel chaos, Martin Lewis' issued fresh advice to customers that they are due an alternative flight or full refund if their flights have been cancelled or delayed.
The amount you are due will depend on the length of time between cancellation, the date you were due to fly, and the distance you were due to travel - this can be from £220 to £520.
