Flight delays today LIVE: Heathrow cancels flights & plunges into 'total chaos' as Ryanair strikes hit Barcelona & Ibiza | The Sun

STRIKES and staff shortages are forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights and causing hours-long queues at major airports.

A crippling three-day Ryanair walkout in Spain kicked off today and runs until July 2 – dashing hopes of a sizzling first summer after Covid-19 lockdowns.

Today's industrial action will affect flights at ten bases across Spain – Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla, Palma, Valencia, Girona, Santiago de Compostela and Ibiza.

And easyJet on-board crew in Spain will ALSO strike for nine days in July, starting from this week between July 1 and 3rd.

Airline passengers hit out at the "total chaos" at Heathrow this morning after the airport ordered flights to be cancelled because it could not handle them

Meanwhile, British Airways staff at Heathrow airport have voted to strike after the airline failed to roll back a 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic,.

A strike is likely to take place during the peak summer holiday period over the next two months.

Read our live flight delays blog below for the latest information…

  • Joseph Gamp

    Not just Ryanair facing disruption this summer

    It would seem Ryanair is not the only airline facing disruption as we approach the summer.

    It was recently announced that around 700 check-in and ground staff for British Airways will walk out.

    The workers, all of whom are based at Heathrow and are members of the GMB and Unite unions, could down tools as early as July 8.

    Heathrow passengers are among those to face particular misery so far this summer after the hub cancelled ten per cent of its plane journeys earlier this week.

  • Joseph Gamp

    First of three Spanish strikes taking place today

    Airline staff who belong to the Spanish USO union announced they'll form picket lines after easyJet confirmed 11,000 flights would be axed from its summer schedules.

    The strikes, three 72-hour stoppages at fortnightly intervals from July 1, would mean hundreds of crew stop work at easyJet’s bases in Barcelona, Málaga and Palma.

    Workers will walk out in three phases across the month – between the 1st and 3rd, between the 15th and 17th, and finally between the 29th and 31st

    It's feared there'll be a "summer of discontent" that could paralyse the travel industry throughout the summer.

  • Joseph Gamp

    Around 98% of flights still expected to operate as planned

    It is thought around 98% of flights out of London Heathrow will operate as planned.

    Customers who have been affected by the cancellations should be contacted by their airline and given advice on the possible alternatives.

  • Joseph Gamp

    Statement from Heathrow spokesperson

    A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We are expecting higher passenger numbers in today's morning peak than the airport currently has capacity to serve, and so to keep everyone safe we have asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak for today only.

    "We apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.

    "We are working hard to ensure everyone has a smooth journey through Heathrow this summer, and the most important thing is to make sure that all service providers at the airport have enough resources to meet demand."

  • Joseph Gamp

    Heathrow passengers vent on social media

    Travellers are taking to social media to vent their frsutration at the chaos at Heathrow Airport this morning.

    One tweeted: "@HeathrowAirport terminal 4 – Appalling – standing here 4 near on 2 hours waiting on my baggage.

    "Not just myself but many others that have train tickets booked & onward journeys!

    "I hope I make my hire car pick – or will you pay the charge for late collection?"

    Another iragte travekller said: "@Gatwick_Airport @HeathrowAirport you thought about going to job centre and doing a mass employment? Would solve your issues in a heartbeat this has gone on for to long now"

  • Joseph Gamp

    Heathrow must reduce passenger charges, says CAA

    HEATHROW must reduce its passenger charges, the Civili Aviation Authority (CAA) has said.

    The cap on the West London airport's average charge per passenger will fall from its current £30.19 to £26.31 in 2026 under the proposals.

    Bosses had asked for them to be increased to £43. The decision follows a bitter dispute between the airport and airlines.

    Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye last night said the regulator "continues to underestimate what it takes to deliver a good passenger service".

  • Joseph Gamp

    How get a refund or compensation if your flight is cancelled

    Here is how to get a refund or compenstion if your flight is cancelled.

    Mwanwhile, a travel expert has revealed what you should do if you are affected by the cancellations this summer.

  • Joseph Gamp

    Cancellations and disruption to carry on through the summer

    Gatwick Airport has capped the number of flight departures during the peak summer season to 825 daily flights in July and 850 in August.

    This could lead to the cancellation of as many as 10,000 flights this summer.

    German flag carrier Lufthansa is cancelling more than 2,200 flights this summer.

  • Joseph Gamp

    Ryanair plays down fears of widespread disruption

    A Ryanair spokesperson has sought to dispel fears of widespread disruption.

    They told Sun Online Travel: "Ryanair has negotiated collective agreements covering 90 per cent of our people across Europe.

    "In recent months we have been negotiating improvements to those agreements as we work through the Covid recovery phase.

    "Those negotiations are going well and we do not expect widespread disruption this summer."

  • Joseph Gamp

    The holiday hell that could affect you this summer – part 1

    • Ryanair employees are due to strike in Belgium and Portugal from June 24–26, in France from June 25–26, in Italy on June 25, and in Spain from June 24–26, and from June 30-July 2
    • Pilots and flight attendants from easyJet, MaltAir and CrewLink, as well as Ryanair, will walk out in Italy on June 25
    • Pilots from Norway, Sweden and Denmark working for Scandinavian airline SAS could carry out coordinated strike action on June 29
    • Gatwick Airport has capped the number of flight departures during the peak summer season to 825 daily flights in July and 850 in August. This could lead to the cancellation of as many as 10,000 flights this summer

    Airports & airlines in frantic hiring sprees

    Airports and airlines are scrambling to hire more workers from pilots to security and border control staff and baggage handlers after many left during the COVID-19 crisis.

    Industry executives say it is hard to recruit for often physically demanding, relatively low paid work at airports often located out of town. Training staff and getting them security clearance to work at airports also takes months.

    ** Schiphol has agreed to pay 15,000 cleaners, baggage handlers and security staff 5.25 euros ($5.50) extra per hour during the summer

    EasyJet and Lufthansa cutting more summer flights

    EasyJet and Lufthansa last week cut thousands more flights from their summer schedules, in latest examples of airlines cutting capacity.

    And airports, including Gatwick and Schiphol, are limiting the volume of passengers they will handle over the summer.

    The latest chaos to hit the UK aviation industry

    Passengers using Heathrow in recent weeks have experienced long queues, and many have been separated from their luggage for several days.

    There are fears that the severe disruption seen at UK airports in the run-up to Easter and the Jubilee bank holiday will return during the peak summer holiday period.

    Heathrow releases statement on flight cancellations

    A Heathrow spokesman said the airport "asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak" as it was expecting more passengers "than the airport currently has capacity to serve".

    He went on: "We will work with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked onto other flights outside of the peak so that as many as possible can get away, and we apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.

    "We are working hard to ensure everyone has a smooth journey through Heathrow this summer, and the most important thing is to make sure that all service providers at the airport have enough resources to meet demand."

    Disgruntled passenger tells of hellish four-hour queues at Heathrow

    One affected passenger, Andrew Douglas, described how he was due to be on a flight to go on holiday but had "spent the last four hours in multiple queues at Heathrow Airport because it's been cancelled".

    He added: "Absolute shambles, complete chaos and only found out at check-in with no prior notification. Horrific service."

    • Joseph Gamp

      Total chaos at Heathrow

      Airline passengers hit out at the "total chaos" at Heathrow on Thursday morning after the airport ordered flights to be cancelled because it could not handle them.

      Thousands of travellers were disrupted by a rare "schedule intervention" which led to the scrapping of 30 flights during the morning peak.

      Some passengers did not find out their flights were cancelled until they arrived at what is the UK's busiest airport.

      Travel writer and broadcaster Andy Mossack wrote on Twitter: "Total chaos at Heathrow this morning. British Airways flights cancelled and zero customer service!"

      Source: Read Full Article

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