Flight cancellations in the present day – stay: EasyJet and BA planes grounded at Gatwick and Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic has loosened restrictions on tattoos amid shortages inflicting journey chaos throughout the UK.

Previously, Virgin Atlantic employees weren’t allowed to have seen tattoos, nonetheless the airline has introduced it’s now altering this coverage.

“Virgin Atlantic’s chief individuals officer, Estelle Hollingsworth, stated restrictions had been being relaxed ‘in line with our focus on inclusion and championing individuality.”

She added: “At Virgin Atlantic, we want everyone to be themselves and know that they belong. Many people use tattoos to express their unique identities and our customer-facing and uniformed colleagues should not be excluded from doing so if they choose.”

The change may increase applications for steward and baggage collection jobs that are in high supply.

Frustrated passengers are taking to social media to express their anger at flight cancellations and delays. Here are a few from Twitter:

The government is under mounting pressure to add aviation jobs to its Shortage Occupations list – reducing hurdles for EU workers to help fill gaps at overstretched airports and airlines.

On Tuesday alone British Airways cancelled almost 120 flights to and from Heathrow, while easyJet has so far grounded 60 departures to, from and within the UK – affecting an estimated 10,000 passengers.

Meanwhile the government insists that airlines and airports are to blame, and says Brexit provides huge benefits for UK air passengers.

Here, Simon Calder takes a look whether Brexit is behind the chaos:

Dozens of flights are being cancelled by airlines each day due to staff shortages and absences due to sickness.

British Airways, EasyJet and Tui have all made the decision to cut back their summer schedules, with most routes being cancelled in advance and passengers notified.

The airlines say this will allow them to operate more efficiently and reduce the risk of last-minute cancellations.

However, some cancellations are continuing day to day, at the last minute – with some passengers reporting having their flights cancelled after they’d arrived to the gate and even boarded their airplane.

Read the total story beneath for a way travellers can reply:

Amid the disruption at airports, was the case of Victoria Brignell, a lady paralysed from the neck down, who was left stranded on a airplane for greater than 90 minutes after airport employees didn’t arrive.

Victoria Brignell, from Shepherd’s Bush, west London, was returning dwelling on Saturday following a vacation in Malta when her airplane arrived at Gatwick Airport, West Sussex.

Airport employees have a duty to assist individuals with disabilities on and off planes – and Gatwick Airport has provided its honest apologies and described the delay as “unacceptable”.

Read the total story beneath:

Diego Garcia Rodriguez, 32, a Spanish nationwide who lives Brighton, stated passengers have been left in tears at Gatwick airport attributable to last-minute cancellations.

He informed the PA information company: “I’m flying from Gatwick to Barcelona and I was at the airport three hours before but almost didn’t make it to board.

“The flight hasn’t been delayed thus far however I’ve seen a lot of individuals whose flights have been cancelled, some crying and stressing out and so they solely received the information after having gone by the safety management in order that they did not know how you can get out.

“There was no information and it was all very chaotic.”

Hundreds of check-in and floor employees employed by British Airways at Heathrow started voting on strike motion on Tuesday.

Members of the Unite and GMB unions are being balloted in a dispute over pay which might trigger chaos on the UK’s busiest airport in the course of the summer season vacation interval.

The poll ends on 23 June with the consequence anticipated the identical day.

Workers are in search of a strike as a result of a ten per cent pay minimize imposed on them in the course of the pandemic has not been reinstated – regardless of bosses having their pre-covid pay charges reinstated, GMB has stated.

Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, stated: “Staff at Heathrow have been verbally and physically abused by angry passengers after British Airways’ staff shortages and IT failures nearly brought the airport to a standstill.

“On top of that, they had their pay slashed during BA’s callous fire and rehire policy. Now they want that money back. Bosses have had it back. Heathrow ground and check in staff want to know why they haven’t had it too.

“Unrest is now starting to spread like wildfire to other groups of BA workers with many more now considering a vote to walk out.

“British Airways faces a gruelling summer of travel chaos if they won’t give these workers what’s rightfully theirs.”

Travel brokers are being inundated with phone calls from prospects apprehensive that their summer season holidays can be disrupted as flight chaos continues.

Thousands extra airline passengers noticed their journey plans thrown into disarray on Tuesday because the sector struggles to deal with employees shortages.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief govt of Advantage Travel Partnership, which represents impartial journey brokers, stated its members are receiving “a significant number of calls” from involved prospects.

She informed the PA information company: “About 30 per cent of all calls that they’re receiving now are from customers that are reading the headlines, have bookings for July and August in the school holidays, and they are worried.”

Ms Bue-Said acknowledged that the scenario is “hideous and disappointing” for passengers whose flights are being cancelled.

But she stated journey brokers try to reassure prospects that “in the vast majority of cases flights are departing and arriving”.

She added: “We’re trying to give a bit of perspective.”

EasyJet axed a minimum of 35 flights on Tuesday, with Gatwick the worst affected airport.

Hungarian service Wizz Air scrapped a minimum of seven flights attributable to serve UK airports whereas British Airways cancelled 124 Heathrow flights, though the airline stated affected passengers got advance discover.

In latest months many passengers whose flights have gone forward reported being caught in airport queues for a number of hours.