British holidaymakers faced a third consecutive day of severe disruption at major UK airports, with over 150 flights cancelled and passengers reporting three-hour queues. Airlines including British Airways, easyJet, and TUI axed services, while police were called in to manage scenes described as 'carnage'.
British Airways cancelled 124 short-haul flights at Heathrow, while easyJet scrapped at least 31 flights from Gatwick to destinations such as Italy, Spain, and Poland. TUI continued to cancel six daily flights at Manchester Airport, representing a quarter of its schedule. Passengers reported receiving cancellation texts as early as 2.30am.
Long queues were reported at Leeds Bradford Airport from 3.50am, with passengers waiting outside the terminal. Similar scenes occurred at Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, and Bristol airports. One easyJet passenger at Manchester described a two-hour 45-minute wait for bag drop and security, followed by further delays due to a shortage of ground crew.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has demanded a meeting with aviation bosses to address the ongoing issues, which stem from staff shortages after the industry laid off thousands during the pandemic. Passengers have faced months of disruption, with baggage handlers at Ryanair's Blue Handling also threatening strike action during the peak summer season.
In one incident, a pilot called police to help passengers disembark an 'abandoned' plane left on the tarmac for three hours. A group of pensioners on a flight from Gatwick to the Isle of Man ended up back at the airport 12 hours later due to high winds. The chaos comes as millions travel for half-term and the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
