LONDON – Heathrow Airport said on Tuesday it would limit passenger numbers until mid-September, citing staff shortages that have led to long queues, delays, lost luggage and last flight cancellations. hour.
In an open letter to passengers, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye called on airlines to stop selling new tickets, as critical functions at the airport have been significantly restricted.
“We recognize that this will mean that some summer trips will be moved to another day, another airport or canceled, and we apologize to those whose travel plans will be affected,” he said. In recent weeks, there have been periods when service had dropped to an “unacceptable” level, he said.
Mr. Holland-Kaye said the airport could not handle more than 100,000 departures each day, just under the 104,000 it estimated it would be expected to serve on average. He asked airlines to limit the number of tickets they sell to return numbers below the 100,000 limit.
When asked how Heathrow would meet the capacity limit, an airport spokeswoman, Hannah Smith, said this would be managed by an independent coordinator, Airport Coordination Limited. “Airlines have discretion over how to apply the limits to their individual schedules,” he said.
Summer trips to Europe have been hit by chaos at airports, as airlines have struggled to keep up with the rising number of passengers, eager to travel after the pandemic blockades and the staff shortage. Last week, the Scandinavian airline SAS filed for bankruptcy after its pilots went on strike. There have also been disruptions by airport and airline staff across Europe, amid frustration with long hours and low wages that have not kept up with rising inflation.
Other airports have introduced similar measures. Last month, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport introduced a capacity limit, citing a shortage of security staff and an air travel demand that far exceeded expectations, and London’s Gatwick Airport also went up. say last month that it would reduce flights for July and August. British Airways said it would operate on an 11 per cent reduced schedule until October.
Mr. Holland-Kaye said Heathrow had started hiring in November, in anticipation of high demand for summer travel, but that some key positions were still understaffed, including ground handlers, which airlines hire for loading and unloading bags, turning planes and providing check-in services to passengers.