French strike: Now chaos at UK airports
Flights axed and held up – and it’s going to get worse
THOUSANDS of British passengers were hit by disruption and cancelled flights yesterday as a strike in France caused air gridlock across Europe. Hundreds of services to and from the UK were axed and hundreds more delayed by up to six hours at the start of a six-day walkout by militant air traffic controllers.
Officials warned worse was to come for travellers trying to get away at the start of the summer holiday season because the strike is likely to remain solid until Sunday.
Airlines reported ‘ severe disruption’ as they had to ground up to a quarter of flights to ease hold-ups. They warned that conditions will get ‘ materially worsen’ today as the backlog builds up.
Yesterday Ryanair cancelled 200 flights and will axe another 250 today while easyJet grounded more than 100 services.
British Airways wiped out around 24 and has already axed another 28 flights tomorrow. Passengers with Monarch and Flybe were also badly affected.
Airlines were unable to access congested airspace over France so did their best to fly around it.
A spokesman f or British Airways said: ‘It’s like closing a lane on the motorway.
‘The other traffic has to squeeze into the remaining lanes, so you get a jam. The cancellations are one thing. It’s the knock-on effect of the congestion in the sky which causes added problems.’
Ryanair admitted that yesterday’s disruption had been ‘more severe than predicted’. Marketing head Kenny Jacobs con-
‘Selfish actions
of so few’
demned the stoppage by the militants ‘who have deliberately initiated industrial actions at the busiest time of the year to cause maximum chaos’.
He added: ‘Ordinary people who work hard all year to take a well- earned holiday have had their travel plans disrupted through no fault of theirs, or of Ryanair’s, because of the selfish actions of so few.’
The company said i t was factoring in delays of up to six hours for flights to and from France as well as those flying over France.
Air safety body Eurocontrol predicted that the industrial action will cause almost 14,000 hours of delays. Last night it said French airspace was operating at minimum capacity.
European Union plans backed by France’s Socialist government for a ‘single European sky’ have angered the air traffic controllers who fear job cuts.
Although the strike is before the main summer getaway, it will hit business travellers and fami- lies with pupils who have just finished their GCSEs or A-levels hoping for an early break.
Passengers trying to get back to Britain also risk being stranded abroad if their flight is grounded.
The knock-on impact of delays and cancellations became acute as it left planes and crews in the wrong place. This hits budget airlines particularly hard as they tend to be short-haul and rely on a fast turnaround.
Holidaymaker Jane Goulding, 47, was held up at Stansted. ‘I have never seen the airport this busy,’ she said. ‘I’m worried I’m going to be queuing for hours.’
Queues and crowds built up as airlines axed 30 flights to and from the Essex hub and extra police and security guards were drafted in.
Edinburgh Airport saw 13 cancellations and two delays yesterday, according to spokesman Stuart Young. He said: ‘We are working with all airlines to make sure passengers are as unaffected as possible.’
Glasgow Airport spokesman Brian McLean said: ‘There have been 19 departures and 15 arrivals delayed, and we had four cancellations of domestic flights.’
Retired company director Anthony Pargeter said he had missed a memorial service in London after his flights from Ibiza, where he has a holiday home, to Barcelona and then onto Gatwick were both axed.
‘Not only have I lost £400 but I felt it was my duty to go,’ he said. ‘It is extremely annoying.’
Airlines said they are emailing or texting passengers to rebook or offer a refund.