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| Gatwick calls in reinforcements after baggage delays | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Gatwick airport is bringing in its own staff to help with luggage handling amid concerns that there could be further travel disruption this weekend. | |
| Staff shortages affecting the baggage-handling company Swissport led to some passengers at the West Sussex airport having to fly abroad without their luggage last weekend. Others faced long delays in reclaiming bags having flown back to Gatwick. | Staff shortages affecting the baggage-handling company Swissport led to some passengers at the West Sussex airport having to fly abroad without their luggage last weekend. Others faced long delays in reclaiming bags having flown back to Gatwick. |
| Richard Sargent, a wheelchair basketball player for Team GB, waited more than four hours for his wheelchair after returning from a holiday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in the early hours of Sunday. He told the Daily Telegraph: "I was left stranded in baggage reclaim. I was not asking for special treatment, just to be able to freely move around the terminal and use the toilet." | Richard Sargent, a wheelchair basketball player for Team GB, waited more than four hours for his wheelchair after returning from a holiday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in the early hours of Sunday. He told the Daily Telegraph: "I was left stranded in baggage reclaim. I was not asking for special treatment, just to be able to freely move around the terminal and use the toilet." |
| Another traveller had still not got his suitcase by the middle of this week having flown to Paphos in Cyprus last weekend. | Another traveller had still not got his suitcase by the middle of this week having flown to Paphos in Cyprus last weekend. |
| A number of UK airlines use Swissport and one of them, Monarch, is understood to be ending its contract with the company, although it is continuing to use its services for the time being. | A number of UK airlines use Swissport and one of them, Monarch, is understood to be ending its contract with the company, although it is continuing to use its services for the time being. |
| Swissport has said it put extra staff on last weekend to deal with "off-schedule arriving aircraft". It is understood that the company is using staff on zero-hours contracts who could be reluctant to work unsocial hours. The baggage problem last weekend was at its most acute between 10.45pm on Saturday and the early hours of Sunday. | Swissport has said it put extra staff on last weekend to deal with "off-schedule arriving aircraft". It is understood that the company is using staff on zero-hours contracts who could be reluctant to work unsocial hours. The baggage problem last weekend was at its most acute between 10.45pm on Saturday and the early hours of Sunday. |
| A Gatwick airport spokesman said: "Bags on 95% of scheduled flights into Gatwick are delivered to passengers in the reclaim halls within 55 minutes. We want all bags on all flights to be delivered within this timeframe and so are working closely with the small number of airlines which employ Swissport to help improve the baggage delivery service. | A Gatwick airport spokesman said: "Bags on 95% of scheduled flights into Gatwick are delivered to passengers in the reclaim halls within 55 minutes. We want all bags on all flights to be delivered within this timeframe and so are working closely with the small number of airlines which employ Swissport to help improve the baggage delivery service. |
| "While Swissport is directly employed by the airlines to provide ground handling services, including baggage delivery, Gatwick has been supplementing their staff by up to 25% to assist with baggage delivery and other ground handling services in recent weeks." | "While Swissport is directly employed by the airlines to provide ground handling services, including baggage delivery, Gatwick has been supplementing their staff by up to 25% to assist with baggage delivery and other ground handling services in recent weeks." |
| In a further statement, Gatwick said it was "disappointed that recent baggage issues have affected too many passengers". | In a further statement, Gatwick said it was "disappointed that recent baggage issues have affected too many passengers". |
| An airport spokesman said: "We have established service standards for our own staff, as well as for ground handling agents, who supply services to airlines such as unloading baggage from aircraft and delivering them to the baggage hall. | An airport spokesman said: "We have established service standards for our own staff, as well as for ground handling agents, who supply services to airlines such as unloading baggage from aircraft and delivering them to the baggage hall. |
| "Recently, Swissport has failed to meet these standards. Although bags are being delivered on time for 95% of flights, this is not good enough." | "Recently, Swissport has failed to meet these standards. Although bags are being delivered on time for 95% of flights, this is not good enough." |
| He added: "This has been frustrating for passengers and we are disappointed with the recent arrival baggage service. Swissport has committed to getting this right, and we are working closely with them to help. Gatwick is providing additional staff. | He added: "This has been frustrating for passengers and we are disappointed with the recent arrival baggage service. Swissport has committed to getting this right, and we are working closely with them to help. Gatwick is providing additional staff. |
| "Although we are not permitted to unload the aircraft, we are assisting with transport of bags to the terminal and the unloading of bags on to belts. We've also introduced a free baggage home delivery service for those who prefer not to wait. | "Although we are not permitted to unload the aircraft, we are assisting with transport of bags to the terminal and the unloading of bags on to belts. We've also introduced a free baggage home delivery service for those who prefer not to wait. |
| "We are committed to providing an excellent service every day and will continue work with our handlers and airlines to deliver the high standards of service we expect." | "We are committed to providing an excellent service every day and will continue work with our handlers and airlines to deliver the high standards of service we expect." |
| The spokesman went on: "Gatwick will continue to carefully monitor Swissport's performance and offer assistance to them as required over the remainder of the summer to minimise the impact on passengers and safeguard our expected level service." | The spokesman went on: "Gatwick will continue to carefully monitor Swissport's performance and offer assistance to them as required over the remainder of the summer to minimise the impact on passengers and safeguard our expected level service." |
| Monarch Airlines would not comment on contractual arrangements with Swissport. It said: "We work closely with a number of third-party service providers across our bases to provide services such as baggage handling. We are working closely with Gatwick airport and our ground handling agent to improve service levels for customers flying with us." | Monarch Airlines would not comment on contractual arrangements with Swissport. It said: "We work closely with a number of third-party service providers across our bases to provide services such as baggage handling. We are working closely with Gatwick airport and our ground handling agent to improve service levels for customers flying with us." |
| British Airways said: "We have been given no reason to expect any issues this weekend at Gatwick, either from the airport authority or Swissport. We will continue to work with Swissport to improve the levels of service to our customers." | British Airways said: "We have been given no reason to expect any issues this weekend at Gatwick, either from the airport authority or Swissport. We will continue to work with Swissport to improve the levels of service to our customers." |