Many more UK flights were cancelled over the weekend by Britain’s two biggest airlines, easyJet and British Airways, causing chaos for people trying to travel for the Easter school holidays.
According to The Independent more than 100 000 passengers have been affected by flight cancellations in April, with hundreds of scheduled flights cancelled between the two airlines just this past weekend, 8-10 April.
BBC quoted Manchester Airport saying that staff shortages had put them under ‘extreme pressure’.
A recent rise in COVID-19 infections among staff members is the reported cause of cancellations. As reported by Travel News, in 2020 BA let go of 10 000 people, with the company now trying to reemploy 3 000 more people to fill the empty positions.
EasyJet has said that the ‘rate of staff absence is around double the norm’ said Travel News.
The article also quoted a statement from Airport Operators Association which said, ‘…a combination of a very tight labour market, delays in the necessary government security checks for new and returning staff as well as COVID-related staff absences could put some airport operations under some strain.’
Now that most of the travel restrictions have subsided, the desire to go on vacation is much higher.
Travellers have been advised by Manchester and Leeds airports to get to the airports three hours early to avoid standing in long security queues that may cause them to miss their flights.
‘I apologise to anyone who has been affected by the disruption,’ writes Charlie Cornish, the chief executive of Manchester Airports Group in an online letter.
‘We are committed to getting customers away on their trips, especially as we know many have waited such a long time to get back to travelling internationally,’ Cornish continued.
Picture: Getaway gallery
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