Flights cancelled LIVE: BA cancels MORE trips leaving Brits’ summer plans in RUINS; plus easyJet, TUI & Ryanair latest
TENS of thousands of passengers are anticipating turmoil this summer as airlines prepare to announce a new wave of cancellations.
On Friday, it was reported that EasyJet is already cancelling thousands of flights this summer due to staff shortages.
The airline has said: “The vast majority of customers’ flights will not be impacted and of those that are, the majority of customers will be re-booked within 24 hours.
“We will be notifying affected customers directly in the coming days with information on their alternative flight or the option to rebook or receive a refund.”
British Airways has also cancelled several flights, sparked by an amnesty on take-off and landing slots.
It previously intended to carry 1.8 million passengers across more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow during July alone.
Read our live flight delays blog below for the latest information...
Disgruntled passenger tells of hellish four-hour queues at Heathrow
One affected passenger, Andrew Douglas, described how he was due to be on a flight to go on holiday but had “spent the last four hours in multiple queues at Heathrow Airport because it’s been cancelled”.
He added: “Absolute shambles, complete chaos and only found out at check-in with no prior notification. Horrific service.”
Total chaos at Heathrow
Airline passengers hit out at the “total chaos” at Heathrow on Thursday morning after the airport ordered flights to be cancelled because it could not handle them.
Thousands of travellers were disrupted by a rare “schedule intervention” which led to the scrapping of 30 flights during the morning peak.
Some passengers did not find out their flights were cancelled until they arrived at what is the UK’s busiest airport.
Travel writer and broadcaster Andy Mossack wrote on Twitter: “Total chaos at Heathrow this morning. British Airways flights cancelled and zero customer service!”
Ten bases across Spain affected by three-day strikes
A three-day Ryanair walkout is planned in Spain this week running from today (June 30) until July 2.
This will affect flights at ten bases across Spain - Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla, Palma, Valencia, Girona, Santiago de Compostela and Ibiza.
The holiday hell that could affect you this summer – part 2
- German flag carrier Lufthansa will cancel up to 1,000 flights on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through July
- EasyJet cabin crew in Spain may walk out again between July 15-17 and between July 29-31
- Hundreds of BA check-in and ground staff at Heathrow have voted to strike in July or August. BA operates from terminals 3 and 5 at the airport and disruption is likely
Not just Ryanair facing disruption this summer
It would seem Ryanair is not the only airline facing disruption as we approach the summer.
It was recently announced that around 700 check-in and ground staff for British Airways will walk out.
The workers, all of whom are based at Heathrow and are members of the GMB and Unite unions, could down tools as early as July 8.
Heathrow passengers are among those to face particular misery so far this summer after the hub cancelled ten per cent of its plane journeys earlier this week.
First of three Spanish strikes taking place today
Airline staff who belong to the Spanish USO union announced they'll form picket lines after easyJet confirmed 11,000 flights would be axed from its summer schedules.
The strikes, three 72-hour stoppages at fortnightly intervals from July 1, would mean hundreds of crew stop work at easyJet’s bases in Barcelona, Málaga and Palma.
Workers will walk out in three phases across the month - between the 1st and 3rd, between the 15th and 17th, and finally between the 29th and 31st
It's feared there'll be a "summer of discontent" that could paralyse the travel industry throughout the summer.
Around 98% of flights still expected to operate as planned
It is thought around 98% of flights out of London Heathrow will operate as planned.
Customers who have been affected by the cancellations should be contacted by their airline and given advice on the possible alternatives.
Statement from Heathrow spokesperson
A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We are expecting higher passenger numbers in today's morning peak than the airport currently has capacity to serve, and so to keep everyone safe we have asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak for today only.
"We apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.
"We are working hard to ensure everyone has a smooth journey through Heathrow this summer, and the most important thing is to make sure that all service providers at the airport have enough resources to meet demand."
Heathrow passengers vent on social media
Travellers are taking to social media to vent their frsutration at the chaos at Heathrow Airport this morning.
One tweeted: "@HeathrowAirport terminal 4 - Appalling - standing here 4 near on 2 hours waiting on my baggage.
"Not just myself but many others that have train tickets booked & onward journeys!
"I hope I make my hire car pick - or will you pay the charge for late collection?"
Another iragte travekller said: "@Gatwick_Airport @HeathrowAirport you thought about going to job centre and doing a mass employment? Would solve your issues in a heartbeat this has gone on for to long now"
Heathrow must reduce passenger charges, says CAA
HEATHROW must reduce its passenger charges, the Civili Aviation Authority (CAA) has said.
The cap on the West London airport's average charge per passenger will fall from its current £30.19 to £26.31 in 2026 under the proposals.
Bosses had asked for them to be increased to £43. The decision follows a bitter dispute between the airport and airlines.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye last night said the regulator "continues to underestimate what it takes to deliver a good passenger service".
How get a refund or compensation if your flight is cancelled
Here is how to get a refund or compenstion if your flight is cancelled.
Mwanwhile, a travel expert has revealed what you should do if you are affected by the cancellations this summer.
Cancellations and disruption to carry on through the summer
Gatwick Airport has capped the number of flight departures during the peak summer season to 825 daily flights in July and 850 in August.
This could lead to the cancellation of as many as 10,000 flights this summer.
German flag carrier Lufthansa is cancelling more than 2,200 flights this summer.
Ryanair plays down fears of widespread disruption
A Ryanair spokesperson has sought to dispel fears of widespread disruption.
They told Sun Online Travel: "Ryanair has negotiated collective agreements covering 90 per cent of our people across Europe.
"In recent months we have been negotiating improvements to those agreements as we work through the Covid recovery phase.
"Those negotiations are going well and we do not expect widespread disruption this summer."
The holiday hell that could affect you this summer - part 1
- Ryanair employees are due to strike in Belgium and Portugal from June 24–26, in France from June 25–26, in Italy on June 25, and in Spain from June 24–26, and from June 30-July 2
- Pilots and flight attendants from easyJet, MaltAir and CrewLink, as well as Ryanair, will walk out in Italy on June 25
- Pilots from Norway, Sweden and Denmark working for Scandinavian airline SAS could carry out coordinated strike action on June 29
- Gatwick Airport has capped the number of flight departures during the peak summer season to 825 daily flights in July and 850 in August. This could lead to the cancellation of as many as 10,000 flights this summer
Airports & airlines in frantic hiring sprees
Airports and airlines are scrambling to hire more workers from pilots to security and border control staff and baggage handlers after many left during the COVID-19 crisis.
Industry executives say it is hard to recruit for often physically demanding, relatively low paid work at airports often located out of town. Training staff and getting them security clearance to work at airports also takes months.
** Schiphol has agreed to pay 15,000 cleaners, baggage handlers and security staff 5.25 euros ($5.50) extra per hour during the summer
EasyJet and Lufthansa cutting more summer flights
EasyJet and Lufthansa last week cut thousands more flights from their summer schedules, in latest examples of airlines cutting capacity.
And airports, including Gatwick and Schiphol, are limiting the volume of passengers they will handle over the summer.
The latest chaos to hit the UK aviation industry
Passengers using Heathrow in recent weeks have experienced long queues, and many have been separated from their luggage for several days.
There are fears that the severe disruption seen at UK airports in the run-up to Easter and the Jubilee bank holiday will return during the peak summer holiday period.
Heathrow releases statement on flight cancellations
A Heathrow spokesman said the airport "asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak" as it was expecting more passengers "than the airport currently has capacity to serve".
He went on: "We will work with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked onto other flights outside of the peak so that as many as possible can get away, and we apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.
"We are working hard to ensure everyone has a smooth journey through Heathrow this summer, and the most important thing is to make sure that all service providers at the airport have enough resources to meet demand."
Disgruntled passenger tells of hellish four-hour queues at Heathrow
One affected passenger, Andrew Douglas, described how he was due to be on a flight to go on holiday but had "spent the last four hours in multiple queues at Heathrow Airport because it's been cancelled".
He added: "Absolute shambles, complete chaos and only found out at check-in with no prior notification. Horrific service."
Total chaos at Heathrow
Airline passengers hit out at the "total chaos" at Heathrow on Thursday morning after the airport ordered flights to be cancelled because it could not handle them.
Thousands of travellers were disrupted by a rare "schedule intervention" which led to the scrapping of 30 flights during the morning peak.
Some passengers did not find out their flights were cancelled until they arrived at what is the UK's busiest airport.
Travel writer and broadcaster Andy Mossack wrote on Twitter: "Total chaos at Heathrow this morning. British Airways flights cancelled and zero customer service!"