Heathrow Airport has asked airlines flying from terminals 2 and 3 to cut 10 per cent of flights as travel disruption continues. The move follows a baggage handling IT system failure on Friday which caused a weekend pile-up of luggage.
The system at Terminal 2 failed, leading to a build-up of bags outside the building. The backlog was finally cleared on Sunday evening but the UK's biggest airport said it had requested that carriers streamlined operations to ease pressure on the system.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We apologise unreservedly for the disruption passengers have faced over the course of this weekend. The technical issues affecting baggage systems have led to us making the decision to request airlines operating in Terminals 2 and 3 to consolidate their schedules on Monday June 20.
“This will enable us to minimise ongoing impact and we ask that all passengers check with their airlines for the latest information.”
Airline passengers have been hit by disruption for several months, with the situation worsening due to the rise in demand sparked by the half-term school holiday and the four-day Platinum Jubilee weekend. The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after letting thousands of people go during the coronavirus pandemic.
Airlines that have cancelled flights today include Virgin Atlantic, Flybe, Air France, Air Canada, TAP Portugal, Loganair, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Brussels Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Aer Lingus, ITA Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, KLM and Bulgaria Air.
Meanwhile, low-cost airline easyJet said it is “proactively consolidating a number of flights” at airports affected by “operational issues”, such as London Gatwick and Amsterdam’s Schiphol. It expects its capacity between April and June to be 87 per cent of 2019 levels, rising to 90 per cent during the following three months.
Responding to easyJet’s announcement on summer flight cancellations, Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “EasyJet has caused chaos and distress for passengers over several weeks with a constant stream of last-minute cancellations. While reducing the number of flights it operates may be the most sensible option in delivering a more reliable service over the summer, it yet again leaves passengers panicking about whether their flight or holiday will be cancelled or delayed.
“The summer holidays are just around the corner, so easyJet must immediately provide clarity on which flights are being cut. Crucially, it needs to start playing by the rules and rerouting its customers, including on flights with other carriers.
“That’s the legal requirement and the very least the airline can do for customers it has left in a mess.”
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