Thousands of passengers have been left stranded across the UK and Europe after Vueling Airlines cancelled 17 flights and delayed 53 others due to adverse weather conditions. The disruptions, which occurred over the past 24 hours, have affected key routes between major cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, Paris, Lyon, and Florence, as well as popular tourist destinations like Nice and Malaga.
Passengers have faced long wait times and overcrowded terminals as a result of the cancellations and delays. While the specific reasons behind the operational disruptions have not been fully disclosed, the airline has partly attributed them to weather conditions, including scattered thunderstorms.
A Vueling spokesperson said: 'On November 6, Vueling adapted its flight schedule in response to the adverse weather forecast. This adjustment was made in line with the airport’s updated flight rate guidelines and applied equally to all airlines operating that day. All affected customers were informed in advance and offered the option to change their flights free of charge.' The spokesperson added that operations were running smoothly on November 7.
The chaos comes as International Airline Group (IAG), which owns Vueling, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia, reported a two per cent increase in third-quarter earnings to £1.8 billion. However, pre-tax profits fell by 2.1 per cent to £1.64 billion compared to the same period last year. IAG chief executive Luis Gallego said the results were 'strong' but noted that the European market remained 'a little softer'.
In a separate development, Aer Lingus UK cabin crew have escalated industrial action by announcing more strike dates at Manchester Airport this month. Almost 130 Unite members will stage walkouts on 9-11, 14, and 16-18 November, in addition to strikes already scheduled from 30 October to 18 November. The workers are protesting low pay and flying allowances compared to their Dublin-based colleagues.
