Airports and airlines have been blamed for severely slashing staff roles amid the pandemic, as holidaymakers face lengthy queues and disruption.
A government source has told The Times that delays and flight cancellations are “completely unacceptable” as Brits have been warned to expect more chaos ahead of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday.
“The simple fact is that airlines and airports overcut staff during the pandemic, ignoring the fact that the billions of pounds of aid — including furlough — handed out by the government was meant to protect those very jobs,” the source told the newspaper.
“Operators are now struggling to meet increasingly busy schedules as we move towards the first Covid-free summer since 2019 — a wholly foreseeable surge in bookings that should have been adequately prepared for,” they added.
Airlines and airports were running the risk of missing out on the rewards of a booming recovery of international travel, the source said.
It comes after many angry holidaymakers took to social media yesterday to complain of long queues or cancelled getaways.
TUI reportedly told hundreds of holidaymakers that their trip was cancelled.
Hundreds of TUI clients were told via text and email that their upcoming trip was no longer happening.
A spokesperson for TUI said: “We’d like to apologise to customers impacted by cancellations and delays this weekend, caused by various operational and supply chain issues.
“We’d like to reassure customers that we are doing everything we can to minimise delays and would like to thank them their patience and understanding during this time.”
Yesterday, Birmingham airport warned passengers to arrive in time, as the hub is expecting a “busy platinum Jubilee weekend,” while Heathrow said it reported a morning peak but queues were still flowing.
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