Travel disruption severely ‘impacting’ US – 6,000 flights cancelled due to staff shortages

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UK airports, including Manchester and Gatwick airport, have faced chaos this week after hundreds of flights were cancelled ahead of the bank holiday weekend. In the US, 6,000 flights have also been cancelled due to staff shortages.

Travellers took to social media to share their experience.

Twitter user @katelinderholm explained: “Staff I spoke to at JFK [New York airport] said the airlines had furloughed lots of people and are now not paying competitive rates when everyone’s worried about the cost of living.

“You can get better money in a warehouse or supermarket.

“Also due to weather – huge storms for flights in and out of JFK.

“I was on one from Portland, Maine to JFK on Saturday – all flights to JFK on Friday were cancelled due and then we had to sit on the tarmac for three hours Saturday.

“Re-routed through Dublin.

“No staff there. Baggage lost,” the passenger explained.

Delta Airlines has been the American carrier with more cancellations this week.

A total of 123 flights were cancelled on Monday and more than 400 over the weekend.

Delta’s Chief Customer Experience Officer, Allison Ausband, explained: “More than any time in our history, the various factors currently impacting our operation — weather and air traffic control, vendor staffing, increased Covid case rates contributing to higher-than-planned unscheduled absences in some work groups — are resulting in an operation that isn’t consistently up to the standards Delta has set for the industry in recent years.”

Flight disruptions will likely continue into the summer as more people return to travel.

Travellers have also seen ticket prices skyrocket due to rising fuel costs with flights to America facing the highest price increase.

Airlines in the UK continue to cancel flights ahead of the Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

On Wednesday, June 1, British Airways announced the cancellation of at least 124 flights at Heathrow.

Airlines are struggling to cope with soaring holiday demand, especially over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

EasyJet cancelled at least 31 flights at Gatwick on Wednesday, June 1.

It is believed TUI will be cancelling 200 flights in June from Manchester Airport.

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