HOLIDAYMAKERS face a summer of travel chaos at UK airports as a
perfect storm of staff shortages, bad weather and delays in the
delivery of new planes have led to a slew of cancellations.
After two days of chaos at Heathrow and Gatwick, delays and
cancellations continue to impact Ryanair’s flights across Europe.
Today on its website, the airline apologised to customers for
excessive flight delays ’caused by European Air Traffic Control (ATC) staff shortages’.
The airline said: “On Tuesday July 9, 15 per cent of Ryanair’s first
wave of departures, 88 out of 580 aircraft, were delayed due to ATC
‘staff shortages’.
“These repeated flight delays due to ATC mismanagement are unacceptable.”
As well as staffing issues, European Air Traffic Control are having
to deal with restricted airspace due to conflict in Ukraine and the
Middle East.
Read More on Flight Problems
The continuing problems come after British Airways and EasyJet were
forced to cancel more than 60 flights Sunday and Monday – again blamed on ATC staff shortages and bad weather.
The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations
says there are shortages across the globe but Europe has been
particularly hard hit as the industry bounced back from the pandemic.
Speaking to the Airport Industry Review, Patricia Gilbert from the
IFATCA said: “I would say a lot of this has to do with the rapid
return to air travel we saw after the pandemic.
“When Covid shut travel down, many countries reduced their ATCO
workforce, offering early retirement and in some cases letting go of
trainees.
“Many also stopped hiring and training, which added to the staffing
problems they’re now seeing.”
The situation could get worse as the school summer holidays begin with a system creaking at the seams and a host of strikes called across Europe.
Staff at airports across Italy walked out on Friday and there’s due
to be more disruption on July 21 at Milan Linate and Bergamo Orio.
A work-to-rule strike is impacting flights into the popular Turkish
holiday resort of Antalya as air traffic controllers walk out over pay
and conditions with the disruption expected to last until July 14.
And Paris airports could be hit by strike action ahead of the Olympic
Games with unions calling for a walkout on July 17 – some 10 days
before the sporting spectacular begins.
Further strikes could mean lengthy delays going through security at
Glasgow and Aberdeen airports after workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.
Flight compensation rules
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of the “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
Unite have said unless there is an improved offer, strike action
could start as early as July 15.
And while bad weather, strikes and staff shortages are not the fault
of any airline, the lack of new planes means there is little wiggle
room when delays and cancellations occur.
This week, Airbus confirmed it fell 30 short of its target to deliver
800 commercial aircraft this year, blaming global supply chain issues.
Boeing has also failed to deliver enough planes after the US aviation
regulator blocked it from expanding the production of the 737 Max,
its most popular plane, following the fuselage blowout on an Alaska
Airlines flight in January.
The delays in delivery of new planes mean airline expansion plans are
restricted – despite soaring demand – leading to high prices for
passengers.
Ryanair was due to receive 57 737 Max-8 planes by June to deploy over the summer but has been forced to revise its delivery expectations due to issues at Boeing.
Outspoken boss, Michael O’Leary told the Financial Times back in
January: “Our growth has been constrained because at this point in
time we don’t really know how many aircraft we are going to get.”