Thousands of easyJet passengers – many of them stranded abroad – have woken to the news that their flights have been cancelled.
The Independent has calculated at least 60 easyJet flights are grounded on Tuesday, adding to the hundreds cancelled over the bank holiday weekend. Ahn estimated 10,000 passengers are affected – including some who are still trying to get home from Mediterranean islands such as Ibiza, Malta and Sicily.
Ali Haynes, her partner and five-month-old baby arrived at Luton airport three hours before departure for Palermo, as easyJet had requested.
She tweeted: “Two hours before, when we’re checked in and through security … text message ‘flight cancelled’.
“We’re now stuck in Luton departures with no information on what next. Holiday ruined.”
She later told The Independent: “Apparently there’s nothing until Sunday. We’re so deflated and tired, we’re just going home.”
Ms Haynes and all other grounded easyJet passengers are entitled to be flown to their destinations as soon as possible, on other airlines if necessary.
Most cancellations are to and from easyJet’s main base, London Gatwick. While some were advised a day or two in advance, many flights were grounded with as little as one hour’s notice.
It follows a difficult Monday evening, in which easyJet flights to and from Belfast City, Ibiza, Isle of Man, Lanzarote and Montpellier were cancelled at short notice.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “easyJet is operating over 1600 flights today carrying a quarter of a million customers. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing challenging operating environment around 60 flights to and from the UK today have been cancelled, many ahead of customers arriving at the airport.
“We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers. We are providing options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required, along with information on how to arrange this quickly online or via the app.
“Our customer service hours and hotel accommodation sourcing have been extended to support impacted customers and help get them to their destination as soon as possible.
“Once again, we are very sorry to customers impacted by the cancellations today.”
Wizz Air has also cancelled a handful of flights from Gatwick airport, to Faro, Palermo and Tenerife.
A government spokesperson said: “The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand, and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.
“In addition, using our post-Brexit freedoms, we have changed the law to provide the sector with more flexibility when training new employees, which will help it to fill vacancies more quickly. We have also worked with Border Force to ensure preparations meet passenger demand.”
