LONDON – Heathrow Airport on Tuesday said it will accept fewer passengers until mid-September, citing staff shortages resulting in long lines, delays, lost luggage and minute flight cancellations. last.
In an open letter to passengersHeathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye urged airlines to stop selling new tickets because vital functions in the airport have been significantly limited.
“We recognize this means some summer itineraries will be rescheduled, different airports or cancelled, and we apologize to those whose travel plans have been affected,” he said. speak. In recent weeks, there have been periods where service has fallen to “unacceptable” levels, he said.
Mr. Holland-Kaye said the airport can handle no more than 100,000 departures a day, slightly less than the 104,000 he estimates will serve on average. He asked airlines to limit the number of tickets they sell to bring the number back below 100,000.
Summer travel in Europe has been hit by chaos at airports as airlines struggle to keep up with a spike in passengers eager to travel once the pandemic has stopped. operations and lack of staff. Last week, Scandinavian airline SAS has filed for bankruptcy protection after its pilot went on strike. Airport and airline staff across Europe have also taken walks amid frustration with long working hours and low wages that have not kept pace with rising inflation.
Other airports have adopted similar measures. Last month, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam capacity limit introductionciting a lack of security staff and demand for air travel far exceeding expectations, and London’s Gatwick Airport last month also said it will reduce flights in July and August. British Airways said it would operate on an 11% reduced schedule through the end of October.
Mr. Holland-Kaye said that Heathrow had begun hiring in November in anticipation of increased summer travel demand, but that several key roles were still lacking, including ground staff, whom the carriers had the airline contracts for baggage handling, turns the aircraft, and provides checks. -service for passengers.
