Tuesday brought more flight cancellations and chaotic scenes at UK airports as staff shortages continue to affect passengers’ plans.
Huge queues were spotted at Manchester and Birmingham airports this morning, with photos taken of the former showing passengers wrapping in queues arriving in front of the terminal building.
An airport recruitment expert said staffing problems could affect aviation next year.
Cooley Sandhu, managing director of Aviation Recruitment Network Limited, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that there are currently more than 300 live vacancies on his site.
“My personal opinion will take at least the next 12 months to establish vacancies in the industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, easyJet and British Airways continue to cancel flights, having today canceled more than 80 scheduled flights between them.
Their main bases, London Heathrow and London Gatwick, are hardest hit.
Both airlines blame staff shortages due to Covid-related absences.
Follow the latest updates below.
Key points
Show the latest update 1649766420
EasyJet blames the cancellation of flights for DfT delays
Delays in processing security checks for the airline’s new crew are increasing the number of canceled flights, according to the easyJet chief.
CEO Johan Lundgren said the airline was waiting for the Ministry of Transport (DfT) to allow about 100 new employees to start work.
EasyJet has canceled hundreds of flights in recent days, mainly on routes serving Gatwick Airport in West Sussex.
Mr Lundgren explained that this was primarily due to high levels of coronavirus-related staff absences, but also blamed the time it took the government to screen new staff.
He said: “There is this delay in the DfT permit so that people can get their personal documents.
“There is a backlog and we are currently waiting for about 100 cabin crew to receive their personal documents.
“There is a three-week delay in this. This had an impact. If it had been on time, we would have seen less repeal. “
This shows that the increase in coronavirus infections has “mainly affected the whole of the United Kingdom,” Mr Lundgren said.
He continued: “I understand that the DfT and the ministers are doing what they can to speed up and speed up what we find very constructive – but it has definitely had an impact.
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Travel in 2022: What awaits us for the rest of the year?
Restrictions may have eased, but holidaymakers are facing chaos when traveling during the Easter holidays with canceled flights and long queues at airports due to a shortage of Covid staff. As we look forward to a potential trip from the UK after Easter, The Independent’s permanent experts will be available to help us paint a picture of what the holidays may look like for the rest of the year and beyond.
Will the chaos of travel continue? Will the fuel crisis push up prices? How will Covid continue to influence how and where we go on holiday?
Join travel correspondent Simon Calder and travel editor Helen Coffey as they do their best to answer your hot questions and discuss how to make the most of your 2022 vacation.
Both experts will be available to help with The Independent’s free virtual event, held at Zoom on Wednesday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.:
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EasyJet is battling disease rates of 20 percent, says the CEO
The UK’s largest budget airline is experiencing “up to 20 per cent crew absence due to Covid”. says its CEO.
Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said that as a result he now has to cancel 5% of his flights every day.
In a media interview, Mr Lundgren said passengers were usually informed well in advance and were able to book again the same day.
He told The Independent that easyJet is committed to fulfilling its obligations under air passenger rights rules.
When a flight is canceled, passengers have the right to fly to their destination on the same day, if possible – even if it means buying an expensive seat from a competing carrier.
In addition, if the cancellation is made less than two weeks in advance, the airline will have to pay hundreds of pounds in compensation.
EasyJet’s chief executive said about 100 new hires were still awaiting security checks.
Simon Calder April 12, 2022 12:29
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What causes airport queues and flight cancellations and how long will it last?
As Easter weekend approaches, the UK’s international transport network is squeaking loudly.
Both British Airways and easyJet cancel dozens of flights each day – BA cancellations are short-haul operations from Heathrow, while easyJet’s main base, Gatwick, has the highest number of unforeseen departures for the airline.
Hundreds more cancellations of domestic and European flights are expected before and during the Easter weekend.
If you have a flight ahead, then there is an airport to fight. The managing director of Manchester Airport has resigned after weeks of extremely long security queues at the third busiest airport in the UK.
Read our guide to what happens during the Easter weekend:
Simon Calder April 12, 2022 12:19
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The science behind flight cancellations
How do easyJet and British Airways choose which flights to cancel from the hundreds they operate each day? Simon Calder examines the parameters and concludes that maximizing happiness is not the most important thing in the minds of operations managers who decide whose flight will remain on the ground.
“You may want to think that these demigods have the omniscient ability to minimize pain,” he writes, “given that the average traveler to Venice probably enjoys this experience more than the traveler to Frankfurt.”
But, he writes, while focusing limited resources on maximizing happiness is an attractive ambition – “in these difficult days, finance wins, not philosophy.”
The total loss of revenue and the obligation to compensate are more pressing concerns.
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The flight was canceled? Your rights have been explained
Every day, British Airways and easyJet cancel dozens of flights as they struggle with resources for their flight program. Departures to European holiday destinations in the Mediterranean are particularly affected. But if your flight is canceled, the airline must take you to your destination on the same day if possible – even if it means buying you an expensive seat at a competing carrier. In addition, if the cancellation is made less than two weeks in advance, the airline you have to pay hundreds of pounds or euros in compensation.
Here are your rights if your flight is canceled:
Simon Calder April 12, 2022 09:57
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All easyJet and BA flights have been canceled today
Another day brings dozens more canceled flights to and from the United Kingdom. Passengers trying to take off for the Easter holidays are facing widespread cancellation of flights at airports in the UK.
Once again, British Airways and easyJet have grounded more than 80 services between them from their main bases, London Heathrow and London Gatwick, respectively.
BA says passengers have been notified for a week or two of the canceled flight due to resource problems.
British Airways did not make any cancellations during the day.
See the full list of today’s cancellations here:
Helen Coffey April 12, 2022 09:38
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Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live travel blog. We will keep you up to date with all the latest news throughout the day.
Helen Coffey April 12, 2022 09:32
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The American airline JetBlue is shortening the summer schedule to avoid more cancellations
The American airline JetBlue is shortening its summer flight schedule so that it does not have to cancel at the last minute later in the year, saying that the industry is still in “recovery mode”.
“We have already reduced capacity by 8-10 percent in May, and you can expect to see a similar amount of capacity by the end of the summer,” said sad chief operating officer and president Joanna Gerati in an email to staff seen by CNBC on Saturday.
JetBlue has canceled hundreds of flights in the past week as airlines around the world struggled to expand to meet the demand for travel following staff redundancies during the pandemic.
“Despite these challenges and based on your feedback that the schedule is too tight, we know that the best plan is to reduce capacity now,” Gerati wrote to staff.
“I think everyone is aware that the industry is still very much in recovery, so we believe that this proactive step is the right decision.
Lucy Takrey April 11, 2022 6:10 p.m.
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The man arrives 13 hours earlier for a flight at Manchester airport
A man arrived 13 hours earlier for his flight from Manchester airport in an attempt to avoid the “madness” of the queue, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Tim Samunai of Coventry reportedly arrived at 5.30am for his flight from Manchester to Zimbabwe at 6.55pm after panicking when he read headlines about the airport’s disorganized and slow queues over the past two weeks.
“I thought that if I came here well and early, then I wouldn’t have to deal with all this madness there,” Mr Samunai told the MEN.
“I don’t know if I panicked about the news, which just highlights the negativity or whatever.
“But there was no differentiation in reporting, you saw check queues in TUI, EasyJet or Jet2 and it was choc-a-bloc.
“My problem was that I don’t realize it, it’s a panic if you go to Corfu, Greece or Tenerife, because everyone wants to go there, and that’s half the time.
“But if you’re going to Africa, then no problem.”
Lucy Takrey April 11, 2022 5:37 p.m.
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