Aviation sector may not return to capacity for up to 18 months, warns Heathrow boss

‘We have to really carefully manage supply and demand to give people a good and predictable experience’

HOLIDAY flights could take up to 18 months to return to normal because of the time it will take to rehire staff and return operations to pre-pandemic levels, says the boss of Heathrow.

John Holland-kaye, the airport’s chief executive, accepted airlines and airports needed to “plan much better” to avoid cancellations and delays and to give passengers enough advance notice if their flight is affected. “I think it will take 12 to 18 months for the aviation sector to fully recover capacity, so we will have to really carefully manage supply and demand … to make sure we can give people a good and predictable experience,” he told the Financial Times’ Global Boardroom conference.

The aviation industry has come under fire from Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, for cutting too many jobs during the pandemic, failing to prepare for the return to flying and overselling flights so they were unable to meet demand.

Mr Holland-kaye admitted: “What we saw in some airports in the UK over the past few weeks is that supply and demand were out of balance … we need to make sure we are planning much better.”

Passengers have already been warned to expect continued disruption throughout the busy summer period as air traffic control delays across Europe compound the staffing shortage.

Heathrow has asked airlines to cut passenger numbers at some times of the day over the summer to ease overcrowding, while airlines including British Airways and easyjet have cut their flight schedules to try to avoid too many last-minute cancellations.

But a spate of further cancellations at the weekend has left thousands of UK holidaymakers stranded abroad after going on half-term breaks last week.

Easyjet cancelled a further 60 UK flights yesterday, adding to the 500 cancelled by airlines over the four-day bank holiday weekend.

MPS yesterday said airlines should compensate holidaymakers for flight cancellations and the Government must urgently give the regulator powers to punish those who fail to do so.