Travel chaos: Ryanair’s O'Leary calls for more European workers

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Travellers fumed when their flight from Gatwick to Inverness on Sunday night was delayed by two hours then cancelled. One angry customer said there were more swear words flying about the travel hub than planes.

The passenger, speaking anonymously, told Express.co.uk: “Everyone was fuming. People had essentially started camping at the gate.

“There were no formal announcements. It was all a guessing game as to what was happening.

“The staff were as flustered as us, trying to find answers for all the angry people.”

The 24-year-old described having to wait two hours before passengers started moving down the boarding bridge, with hopes raised the flight would get off the ground.

She said: “But it seemed to be a ruse. The plane doors never opened for us and we were left to swelter in the passenger boarding bridge.

“Lots of people were dehydrated and hungry, but we never received the refreshment vouchers that are stated as an entitlement in easyJet’s T&Cs.”

The frustrated passengers were eventually told to exit the boarding bridge and instructed to wait.

The passenger, from Nairn in the Scottish Highlands, said: “There were more swear words flying about than planes.”

Eventually, the captain of the plane emerged, apologising to passengers, telling them it would be illegal for him to fly that night and the flight had been cancelled.

The passenger described a wave of people then headed towards a customer service desk where one “fed up” looking worker shouted to the crowd that there would be no flights for 48 to 72 hours and travellers should find accommodation themselves then try and get reimbursements.

She continued: “Then he stormed off and left everyone in a state of absolute disbelief.

“One lady in the crowd joked, ‘We’ll be fighting for that reimbursement for the next six years’.”

The unhappy traveller continued: “I feel like the constant delays represent a much larger and deeper issue, not of flight scheduling, but of managerial decisions. Otherwise, why have delays never been this consecutively bad before?”

She is now booked onto a flight due to depart on Tuesday (July 12).

EasyJet has been approached for comment.

DON’T MISS: 
Fury as Extinction Rebellion protesters occupy a mine for second day [REPORT] 
Mum with cancer forced to come out of retirement due to ‘no EU staff’ [REVEALED] 
Oprah’s advice to Harry and Meghan amid row [LATEST]

Meanwhile, an investigation has found Birmingham Airport was the worst in the UK for flight delays last year.

Departures from the West Midlands flight hub were an average of 12 minutes and 24 seconds late taking off in 2021, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the PA news agency.

Southampton Airport had the second poorest record, followed by Heathrow, Exeter and Aberdeen airports.

The ranking takes into account all scheduled and chartered departures. Cancelled flights are not included.

Birmingham Airport stressed many of its delayed departures were able to make up time in the air because of the huge reduction in flight numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesman said: “Last year was a dark time for aviation when Birmingham Airport was reduced to just 25 percent of normal resource and capacity due to Covid.

“Due to the unique operating environment caused by massive air traffic reductions, the usual pressures did not exist, so flights taking off late were able to catch up en route.”

Birmingham is the UK’s seventh busiest airport, serving long-haul destinations including Dubai, Mexico, the Caribbean and the US, as well as more than 100 short-haul routes.

It hosts bases for airlines such as Jet2.com, Ryanair and Tui Airways.

The BBC recently reported the annual wage of the airport’s chief executive Nick Barton rose by 49 percent from £399,000 to £595,000 last year.

This angered trade unions as it came after widespread job cuts due to the pandemic, but the airport – which is part-owned by several of the region’s councils – insisted its senior management is paid in line with market rates.

The airport was used by 12.6 million passengers in 2019, before the pandemic, but just 2.5 million last year.

Punctuality across all UK airports in 2021 was better than before the virus crisis, due to the reduction in flights caused by travel restrictions.

Source: Read Full Article