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Why are so many flights being cancelled? Will my summer holiday flights be cancelled?
(6 days later)
Flight cancellations and airport delays are expected to continue over the next few months, affecting summer holiday plans. Flight cancellations and airport delays are expected to continue, affecting summer holiday plans for many.
Airlines have been told by the government and regulator to cancel the flights they won't be able to deliver now, to avoid a return to the chaos seen in May and June. Airlines had already been struggling with staff shortages, and now face further disruption after aviation workers across Europe voted to strike.
Gatwick Airport is cutting the number of flight slots during the peak summer months. Some operators have begun cancelling flights, to try to prevent a repeat of the chaos seen at airports in recent months.
One of the main issues is staff shortages, although the government and industry disagree about who is to blame for the problem. What are the strikes about?
How bad are the staff shortages? Strikes are expected from security staff, baggage handlers and airline cabin crew in a number of European countries.
Ryanair staff are striking across Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain over poor working conditions and low pay.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary dismissed union claims as "complete rubbish".
Easyjet workers in Spain argue their working conditions are worse than those of their European colleagues.
Easyjet told the BBC it was "extremely disappointed with this action", as it has made "considerable progress towards a new collective labour agreement".
Which routes will be affected?
Spain
EasyJet cabin crew in Spain working from Palma, Barcelona and Malaga have voted to strike for nine days in July, over three separate 72-hour periods: 1 to 3 July, 15 to 17 July and 29 to 31 July.
Easyjet said there could be some disruption, but that "at this stage" it planned to operate its full schedule.
Easyjet has already cancelled many flights this year because of staff shortages
Ryanair staff are expected to strike between June 24 to 26 June, and 30 June to 2 July.
Ryanair flies to ten locations in Spain, but details about which routes will be affected haven't been announced.
France
Ryanair staff based at Toulouse, Marseille and Paris Beauvais airports are planning to strike from June 25 to 26.
Workers at Paris's Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports will strike on 2 July - affecting all flights in and out of those locations.
Portugal and Italy
Ryanair staff will walk out between June 24 to 26 in Portugal, and Italian staff have timed their strike for 25 June to coincide.
Belgium
Ryanair staff plan to strike from June 24 to 26, affecting flights to/from Charleroi and Brussels.
This follows the complete walkout of screening staff at Brussels airport on Monday which led to the cancellation of all 232 departing flights.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?
Why are staff shortages so high?
Covid restrictions in the UK and across the globe were hugely challenging for the travel industry.Covid restrictions in the UK and across the globe were hugely challenging for the travel industry.
Airlines UK, the industry body for airlines registered here, said airlines have cut about 30,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic, having employed 74,000 people in 2019. Airlines UK, the industry body, said airlines have cut about 30,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic, having employed 74,000 people in 2019.
Thousands of jobs have also been cut from airports and aviation support activities, which used to employ another 66,000 people. Airports across Europe are also experiencing shortages, with operators in France reporting at least 4,000 vacancies.
In June 2020, for example, Swissport, which had about 8,500 staff at UK airports - including baggage handlers and security personnel - announced it would halve its workforce. Many airport staff who were laid off after the start of the pandemic have since taken jobs in other sectors.
Unions have said that many airport staff who were laid off after the start of the pandemic have since taken jobs in other sectors. Airport security staff shortages are a particular problem, as it can take months to get the clearance workers need to operate airside.
The Office for National Statistics said that there were a record 1,295,000 job vacancies in the UK between February and April 2022. Swissport's UK boss, Jude Winstanley, said the company had hired 3,000 people since January, but many of them still didn't have full security clearance, limiting the duties they could carry out.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary also pointed out that Brexit has made it harder for the industry to bring in European workers to fill gaps. The government changed the rules at the end of April to allow new staff to receive training while waiting for their final clearance.
What's happening about vetting? Why weren't these problems anticipated?
Airport staff need security clearance from both the Civil Aviation Authority and the government to be able to do their jobs. Demand for travel has grown sharply since Covid restrictions for travel across Europe and the UK were lifted.
There have been reports that the vetting process has been taking considerably longer than usual. But unions have accused the governments and airlines of failing to properly prepare the industry for the end of lockdown.
Swissport's UK boss, Jude Winstanley, said the company has hired 3,000 people since January, but many of them still don't have full security clearance, which limits the duties they can carry out. Gemma Antrobus from the Association of Independent Tour Operators said: "Getting back to those levels of staffing, of training, is not as quick and as simple as just a flick of a light switch."
EasyJet has cancelled dozens of flights in recent weeks UK airports saw severe disruption at Easter and May half term
However, the Cabinet Office told BBC News: "There are absolutely no delays to security vetting of applicants. The government insists ministers have been working with the industry to avoid delays, and says it has provided £8bn of support to the sector during the pandemic.
"It is wrong to suggest otherwise, and we are prioritising vetting applications from the aviation industry." In comparison, the French government gave 15bn euro (£12.9bn) to its aviation sector in 2020 to offset the impact of Covid.
The government did change the rules at the end of April to allow new staff to receive training while waiting for their final clearance. Some airlines have also had to be bailed out: TAP Portugal received a 1.2bn euro (£1.03bn) loan from the European Commission in 2020.
Did anyone see these problems coming?
Demand for travel has grown sharply since final restrictions for passengers entering the UK were lifted on 18 March.
The TUC has accused the government of failing to properly prepare the airline industry for the end of lockdown.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused airlines and operators of "seriously [overselling] flights and holidays".
But Conservative MP Huw Merriman, chairman of the Transport Select Committee, told the BBC that airlines have a requirement set by the government to use 70% of their airport slots or risk losing them.
He said they have no choice but to try to operate at these levels, despite the staffing pressures.
Gemma Antrobus from the Association of Independent Tour Operators blamed a lack of sector-specific support since the start of the pandemic:
"Getting back to those levels of staffing, of training, is not as quick and as simple as just a flick of a light switch."
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said ministers and industry must also address "chronic low pay" in the sector.
The government said it had given £8bn of support to the industry during the pandemic.
This included help under the furlough scheme, loan guarantees and the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme, which offered £4m grants to airports and companies providing them with services such as maintenance and cleaning.
When will things improve?When will things improve?
According to the aviation regulator, up to 4% of UK flights were cancelled during half term and the Platinum Jubilee weekend - compared to the usual rate of 1%. After the severe problems seen over the Jubilee Bank Holiday, the government and the regulator warned airlines to ensure their summer timetables were "deliverable".
Airlines and unions have told MPs on the Commons Business Committee that the problems are likely to continue this summer. If not, they say flights should be pulled as soon as possible, to avoid large-scale, last-minute cancellations.
Advantage Travel Partnership - a network of travel agents - said 30% of its members are already fielding calls from holidaymakers concerned about future bookings. According to Conservative MP Huw Merriman, chairman of the Transport Select Committee, one of the big issues is that airlines have to use 70% of their airport slots or risk losing them.
In a joint letter, the government and the regulator have now warned airlines to ensure their summer timetables are "deliverable". In response, the government has announced an amnesty scheme which will let airlines temporarily hand back slots they will struggle to fill this summer, without having to surrender them permanently.
If they are not, it says flights should be cancelled as soon as possible, to avoid large-scale, last-minute cancellations. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said this would "help airlines provide certainty to passengers and ensure the next few months are as smooth as possible".
Firms were also told to make sure customers were kept informed about their rights during any disruption. Airline UK boss Tim Alderslade described the move as "a welcome step that will help build greater resilience into operations this summer".
Gatwick will be reducing its number of daily flights to 825 in July and 850 in August, down from 900 in previous years. Gatwick Airport has already announced it will cut the number of flight slots during the peak summer months.
It said it had taken the decision to temporarily reduce flights following a review of its operations, to help passengers "experience a more reliable and better standard of service".
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?
Are other countries having similar issues?
Disruption is not limited to the UK.
There have also been problems at other European airports because of staff shortages in recent weeks, including Amsterdam's Schiphol and also Dublin.
There were large queues at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on 4 June after KLM temporarily paused flights from other European destinations
However, Health Secretary Sajid Javid questioned why other major European countries like Germany and Italy hadn't seen the same scale of problems as the UK.
He said it was "about time the industry took some more responsibility for sorting its own challenges out".
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