UK holidaymakers are facing continued disruption at British airports as airlines continue to delay and cancel flights because of a number of reasons.
So far on Sunday, four EasyJet flights have been canceled which were due to take off from Bristol Airport, according to the airport’s website. The 10.15am to Barcelona, the 12.05pm to Glasgow, the 4.35pm to Amsterdam and the 8.15pm to Newcastle have all been cancelled.
Meanwhile, a further four flights from Bristol Airport have been delayed. The Paphos flight will now take off at 1.05pm, the Gran Canaria flight at 2.40pm, the Skiathos flight at 3.30pm, and the Kefalonia flight at 4.55pm.
Issues have eased slightly this week as schools return after the half term break, but a total of 10 flights in or out of Bristol Airport were canceled yesterday. They were mainly easyJet flights to destinations like Paris and Glasgow.
Travelers have also compared the airport to a “zoo”, and others complained that there were just too many people trying to “squeeze through a tiny terminal”.
READ MORE: The vacancies that are on offer at Bristol Airport
On Thursday, the airport held a job fair in a bid to fill 150 vacancies. Bristol Airport – like airports across the UK – has struggled to cope with the return of large numbers of people flying off on holiday in 2022 with the relaxation of Covid pandemic travel rules, and the airport, baggage handling companies and airlines have struggled to hire people to fill the jobs that were lost in 2020 when lockdown first hit.
That has led to huge queues at check-in desks, baggage drop sites and security in the airport, with queues out of the door of the terminal becoming a common sight. There have also been problems and delays getting passengers and baggage off planes that have arrived, with regular complaints about delays of hours from passengers who have already landed. Airlines themselves have struggled to fulfill all the flights they have schedules – especially easyJet – with cancellations a daily norm now.
Bristol Airport has previously said it is working round the clock to improve the situation, and that the queues at security have eased in recent weeks as they are able to recruit more staff.
Meanwhile, a potential strike at Ryanair across several European countries could cause misery for UK travellers.
already; easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways were among the airlines affected by strikes in Italy on Wednesday, with dozens of flights cancelled. Now, reports suggest Ryanair staff could stage a walkout this summer.
According to Bloomberg, two Spanish unions have joined forces with five workers’ organizations in Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal to prepare for a strike.