NewsBite

Travel chaos: Kids forced to sleep on airport floors as thousands of flights scrapped

Australian travellers face delays as scenes of chaos emerge from British airports brought on by staff shortages. WATCH VIDEO

Children have been sleeping on airport floors, a sea of baggage piling up, and endless queues as passengers try to get through passport control are just a few of the scenes greeting travellers left at their wit’s end at British airports as airlines cancel thousands of flights amid staff shortages.

Photos taken at British airports published by The Sun showed holiday hopefuls lining up, lying on the floor, and luggage as far as the eye can see.

And industry pundits say it’s only going to get worse.

On Monday, more than 15,000 passengers were left in the lurch today after Britain’s busiest airport cancelled 10 per cent of its plane’s scheduled journeys.

One traveller wrote: “Women and children now sleeping on the floor in Heathrow. Eitihad flight delayed by four hrs in Abu Dhabi and landed over two hrs ago and still no bags.

“Better communication needed. This could have been avoided for a lot of families and individuals. Awful situ, no water even.”

Travellers wait in a long queue to pass through security at Heathrow, England. The aviation industry is struggling to recruit staff after waves of lay-offs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: Getty Images
Travellers wait in a long queue to pass through security at Heathrow, England. The aviation industry is struggling to recruit staff after waves of lay-offs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: Getty Images

Another man called Stephen said his partner with two autistic children were stranded with no help from the airline after their flight was delayed so they missed their connection.

He wrote: “Kids tired, scared, hungry. Both in nappies and told to find own hotel at 1am. Help.”

Another disgruntled passenger wrote online: “Flight to Melbourne delayed and Heathrow is bustling.”

Already today, many passengers have missed connection flights today because of huge delays today.

It comes as British budget airline EasyJet on Monday said it was reducing the number of its flights this summer, as the UK aviation sector struggles with severe staff shortages.

Airlines and airports are struggling to recruit staff after the lifting of pandemic lockdowns, which saw the aviation sector slash thousands of jobs.

Travel through England’s major airports is in crisis as thousands of flights have been scrapped during the busy Northern summer. Picture: Getty Images
Travel through England’s major airports is in crisis as thousands of flights have been scrapped during the busy Northern summer. Picture: Getty Images

London’s Gatwick Airport last week said it would reduce summer flights owing to limited resources.

On Monday, EasyJet said it “is proactively consolidating a number of flights across affected airports”, including Gatwick.

“We are sorry that for some customers we have not been able to deliver the service they have come to expect from us,” said EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren.

EasyJet said it expects the airline’s capacity in the group’s current third quarter to be 87 per cent of the pre-pandemic 2019 level.

British low-cost carrier easyJet announced a reduction in its transport capacity this summer due to an acute shortage of staff. Picture: AFP
British low-cost carrier easyJet announced a reduction in its transport capacity this summer due to an acute shortage of staff. Picture: AFP

It is expected to increase to 90 per cent in the three months to the end of September, EasyJet’s final quarter.

Air passenger traffic on a global scale is expected to hit 83 per cent of pre-pandemic levels this year and the aviation industry’s return to profit is “within reach” in 2023, the International Air Transport Association said on Monday, local time.

“People are flying in ever greater numbers,” the document quoted IATA director general Willie Walsh as saying.

Information sheets advising the public on strike action in the biggest dispute on Britain's railway network since 1989, according to the RMT. The union has also announced a 24-hour walkout of its members on the Tube, London's underground railway network, planned for Tuesday. Picture: AFP
Information sheets advising the public on strike action in the biggest dispute on Britain's railway network since 1989, according to the RMT. The union has also announced a 24-hour walkout of its members on the Tube, London's underground railway network, planned for Tuesday. Picture: AFP

It comes as Britain’s railway network this week faces its biggest strike action in more than three decades in a row over pay, as soaring inflation erodes earnings, triggering fears of wider industrial action.

Last-ditch talks to avert a strike broke down on Monday afternoon, local time, meaning more than 50,000 members of rail union the RMT will walk out for three days.

The strikes – on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – risk causing significant disruption to major events including the Glastonbury music festival.

Schools are warning that thousands of teenagers taking national exams will also be affected.

Originally published as Travel chaos: Kids forced to sleep on airport floors as thousands of flights scrapped

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/travel-chaos-kids-forced-to-sleep-on-airport-floors-as-thousands-of-flights-scrapped/news-story/c873bca69d832531beb9aee4eda6486f