Pilots for easyJet have warned customers will turn their backs on the airline following "unprecedented chaos", reports say. A letter from the easyJet branch of the French SNPL pilots’ union said that the airline has cancelled viable flights.
The letter reportedly said that easyJet is suffering “operational meltdowns” after bosses failed to heed staff warnings about surging demand. The letter, seen by the i paper, comes after chaotic scenes at airports over half-term, with delays and cancellations hitting family holidays.
In the letter, the pilots also warn the chaos has not reached its peak - calling it a “frightening prospect”. The pilots raised the issue of stress caused by the pandemic and subsequent disruption on air crews, calling for extra support and saying “mental health is at stake”.
In response, easyJet said it was continuing to operate up to 1,700 flights a day across its network, carrying 250,000 people each day, reports MirrorOnline. The pilots’ letter, addressed to easyJet’s Swedish chief executive Johan Lundgren, accused the airline of believing it could deliver a summer schedule with “less flight crew, cabin crew, or flight planning officers”, i reports.
It added: “Operational employees, who knew but were not listened to, are now witnessing the consequences.”
It also lambasts the airline for cancellations caused by a lack of crew, which saw customers being turned away from cancelled flights minute before they were due to depart. The pilots say that staff have explained to senior managers how bad the situation has got.
"We are actually convinced that our disruption hasn’t even peaked yet and frankly this is a frightening prospect," the letter adds.
EasyJet says it is in continuous dialogue with its unions and remains “absolutely focused” on its daily operation.
In a statement, the airline said: “Delivering a safe and reliable operation for our customers and crew is the airline’s highest priority. EasyJet continues to operate up to around 1,700 flights and carry around a quarter of a million customers every day.
"However, the ongoing challenging operating environment continues to have an impact which is resulting in a small proportion of flight cancellations. We are absolutely focused on our daily operation and continue to monitor this very closely and will not hesitate to take action as needed.”
