Thousands of airline passengers are facing new disruptions as widespread flight cancellations continue – with travel agents overwhelmed by customer calls worried that the chaos will continue and ruin their summer vacation.
The sector is struggling to cope with staff shortages, with EasyJet making at least 35 flights on Tuesday, with Gatwick Airport being the hardest hit. Hungarian carrier Wizz Air has canceled at least seven flights to serve airports in Britain.
British Airways also canceled 124 Heathrow flights, although the airline said the passengers affected had been notified in advance.
Diego Garcia Rodriguez, a 32-year-old Spanish citizen living in Brighton, said that passengers at Gatwick Airport on Tuesday were left in tears over the last-minute cancellation.
Meanwhile, union members Unite and GMB are voting on a pay dispute that could wreak havoc on the UK’s busiest airport during the summer holidays.
Key points
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Is Brexit causing the flight cancellation crisis?
The government is under increasing pressure to add aviation jobs to its list of job shortages – reducing barriers for EU workers to help fill gaps in congested airports and airlines.
Meanwhile, the government insists that airlines and airports are to blame and says Brexit provides huge benefits for passengers in the UK.
Emily Atkinson June 8, 2022 01:00
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Thousands of others see the travel plans thwarted as the flight chaos continues
Thousands more airline passengers saw their travel plans fall into chaos on Tuesday as the sector struggled to cope with staff shortages.
EasyJet canceled at least 35 flights on Tuesday, with Gatwick the worst affected.
Hungarian carrier Wizz Air has canceled at least seven flights to serve airports in Britain.
British Airways has canceled 124 Heathrow flights, although the airline said the passengers affected had been notified in advance.
Emily Atkinson, June 7, 2022, 11:50 p.m.
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Railway strike: When will it start and which trains will be affected?
After members of the RMT railroad union voted 8-1 in favor of strike action on jobs, pay and conditions, their union convened national rail strikes on three dates in late June.
Union Rail members and 13 train operators will organize 24-hour walks on June 21, 23 and 25.
What could be the effect? And are there any other disputes ahead?
Here is Simon Calder with the key questions and answers:
Emily Atkinson, June 7, 2022, 10:50 p.m.
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The rail strikes are “incredibly disappointing,” Schaps said
Transport Secretary Grant Shaps described the planned railway strike as “incredibly disappointing”, warning that it could “push passengers off the railways forever”.
He said: “The pandemic has changed travel habits – with 25% fewer ticket sales and taxpayers intervening to support rail transport at a cost of £ 16 billion, which is equivalent to £ 600 per household. We need to act now to put the industry on a sustainable footing.
“We are working with the industry to reduce the disruption caused by the strikes, but the unions are intervening with the weapons, announcing this when negotiations have just begun.
“We want to once again call on the unions to negotiate with the railway industry so that we can work together to build a better, more modern, passenger-oriented railway.
Emily Atkinson June 7, 2022 9:50 p.m.
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Three days of rail strikes in the UK have been announced for the end of June
The rail strikes were announced for three dates in late June, after workers voted in favor of industrial action.
RMT union members on Rail Rail and 13 train operators will organize 24-hour walks on June 21, 23 and 25. The industrial action coincides with several major events, including Glastonbury.
According to RMT, this will be “the biggest dispute in the network since 1989” and will involve 40,000 workers. Union Secretary-General Mick Lynch has promised “a long campaign of industrial action that will shut down the railway system”.
Helen Coffey and Simon Calder have details:
Emily Atkinson, June 7, 2022, 8:50 p.m.
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Subway strikes have affected visitors to the Glastonbury festival
Rail and subway strikes will wreak havoc on the journey for people attending a number of events, including concerts, cricket test matches and the Glastonbury Festival.
Services are likely to be affected throughout the week due to the impact on trains and crews.
Glastonbury begins on June 22 and lasts until June 26, with many festival goers planning to travel to the venue by train.
Other events this week include England and New Zealand in a test match at Leeds, the British Athletics Championships in Manchester and concerts at London’s Elton John’s Hyde Park (June 24) and the Rolling Stones (June 25).
There will also be a meeting of the Heads of Government of the British Commonwealth in London on 24/25 June, and 25 June is Armed Forces Day.
With additional reporting from the Bulgarian Communist Party
Emily Atkinson June 7, 2022 6:48 p.m.
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The second 24-hour subway strike coincides with the railway strike
Another 24-hour strike has been announced in the London Underground – after a widespread industrial action stopped the network yesterday.
Workers who are members of the RMT union will take industrial action on Tuesday, June 21, for jobs and pensions.
Passengers boarding a bus took place on Monday in the London Underground strike
(AFP via Getty Images)
The subway strike will coincide with a series of railway strikes scheduled for June 21, 23 and 25.
The union said the strike over wage freezes and job cuts would be the biggest on the railways since 1989.
Lamiat Sabin June 7, 2022 5:40 p.m.
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Strikes could disrupt travel to and from Italy
Vacationers who are preparing to travel to and from Italy tomorrow are advised to check the status of their flight again, as a possible strike could disrupt their plans.
Easyjet announced on its website that a series of strikes could be launched in Italy on Wednesday, June 8.
The flight crew of Easyjet, Ryanair and Volotea will strike in response to “long-term staffing problems”, the Italian Italian news site The Local reported.
They have to leave between 10 and 14 o’clock, he added.
Ryanair and Easyjet flights to and from Italy may be affected
(Reuters)
Easyjet says on its website: “Like all airlines operating to and from Italy, we may see some disruption to our flight program on this date.
“We advise customers who must travel to, from or within Italy on June 8 to check the status of their flights in our Flight Tracker in our mobile app or on the website www.easyjet.com/(your flight number) .
“Although this is beyond our control, we would like to assure our customers that we are doing everything we can to minimize any disruption that may arise as a result of the strike.”
Lamiat Sabin June 7, 2022 5:10 p.m.
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Railway workers will strike for three days in June
Industrial action will disrupt rail services later this month.
In June, there was already a mass chaos in subway strikes across London yesterday, and flights were canceled for several days in the UK due to airline technical difficulties and staff shortages.
Now railway workers who are members of the RMT union have to go on strike on Tuesday, June 21st, Thursday, June 23rd and Saturday, June 25th.
The strike is expected to be widespread, as it will involve workers in Network Rail and 14 other operators.
The drivers will not take part in this industrial action, as they are represented by the Aslef union.
Read the evolving story here:
Lamiat Sabin June 7, 2022 16:36
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Will the chaos of traveling on time for our summer vacation end?
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder answered questions from anxious holidaymakers who wanted to know if the ongoing interruptions would continue into the summer.
Read the answers below:
Thomas Kingsley June 7, 2022 3:49 p.m.
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