British Airways has announced the cancelation of at least 124 short-haul flights at Heathrow on Wednesday as airlines struggle to cope with soaring half-term holiday demand.
The airline says passengers were given advance notice. Meanwhile EasyJet has cancelled at least 31 flights at Gatwick, including to destinations such as Bologna, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Krakow, Poland; and Edinburgh.
It comes after as a Cabinet minister slammed aviation bosses for the chaos at airports in Britain stressing they were warned months ago they needed to recruit more staff.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab accused airline chiefs of a “lack of preparation” for the upsurge in people who have booked foreign holidays.
Tens of thousands of families have had flights cancelled or delayed in recent days and there are fears the problems will get worse in the summer months.
Mr Raab told Sky News: “There has clearly been a lack of preparation for that surge back of demand of holidaymakers.
“Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has been talking to the industry for months now, saying that this would come and they need to make sure you have got your recruitment in place.
“I don’t think the airline operators have done the recruitment that they should have done and taken the advice that the Transport Secretary gave them.”
