Heathrow Airport Warns More Flight Cancellations Possible If Travel Chaos Continues

Travellers wait in a long queue to pass through the security check at Heathrow Airport, in London, on June 1, 2022. Carl Court/Getty Images

London’s Heathrow Airport has said it will ask airlines to cancel more flights this summer if it does not believe previous schedule reductions will sufficiently reduce disruption.

The travel chaos has lasted for months in the UK as the aviation industry suffers from severe staff shortages. Airlines and airports made thousands of employees redundant during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, but are now struggling to recruit new workers and have their security checks processed.

Last month, the British government and the Civil Aviation Authority ordered airlines to make sure their timetables are “deliverable” after the sector proved unable to cope with demand during the Jubilee half-term school holiday period.

In a statement released on July 11, Heathrow, the UK’s largest airport, said rebuilding capacity quickly has proved to be “very challenging” and arrivals punctuality is still “very low” as a result of delays at other airports and airspace congestion across Europe.

The airport apologised to passengers for the service levels that it said have sometimes “not been acceptable,” with long queue times, delays for passengers with reduced mobility, and bags not travelling with passengers or arriving late.

‘Exponential Growth’

Heathrow Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye said that demand has at times exceeded the capacity of the airport, airlines, and ground handlers.

“We will review the schedule changes that airlines have submitted in response to the government’s requirement to minimise disruption for passengers this summer and will ask them to take further action if necessary,” he said.

“We want everyone who is travelling through Heathrow to be confident that they will have a safe and reliable journey.”

The number of passengers who travelled through Heathrow during the first half of the year was 26 million, which is more than six times higher than the same period in 2021.

Holland-Kaye said the airport experienced “exponential growth” last month, with nearly 6 million passengers.

In terms of passenger numbers, Heathrow has recorded “the equivalent of 40 years of growth in just four months,” he added.

To tackle staff shortages, the government has ordered the vetting centre to prioritise checks for airports so new recruits can help plug the gaps quicker.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said on July 2 that counter-terrorist checks for aviation workers are now being processed on average in under 10 days, which is half of the time it took in March.

Accreditation checks are also being sped up to be completed within five days on average, according to the department.

PA Media contributed to this report.