British Airways Cancels Hundreds Summer Flights

Last week, British Airways announced that it would cancel hundreds more summer flights, citing the failure of previously announced measures to reduce scheduled flight numbers.

The announcement would affect tens of thousands of people who expect to fly out of London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Ten per cent of all flights will be cancelled until October to avoid cancelling flights on the day of departure.

With the most recent round of cancellations, the percentage now stands at roughly 11%. Customer refunds or rebooking on other flights are being offered.

We reduced our summer schedule earlier this year to give our customers as much warning as possible if their travel plans changed, British Airways said in an announcement.

However, it has become imperative to make some additional reductions in order to deal with the most challenging moment in the history of the aviation business,” it said.

In Europe, the United States, and worldwide, airlines and airports are experiencing employee shortages in various roles, from baggage handlers to security officers. Since several coronavirus travel restrictions have been lifted, there have been long line-ups at the airports and aircraft delays due to the shortages.

Workers at Heathrow Airport voted to go on strike in a dispute over wages, leading to the cancellation of British Airways flights. Summer vacation is predicted to be the time of year when workers, including check-in staff, will go on strike.