Airlines blames ministers for Easter travel chaos

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Airlines also blamed a spike in Covid cases for the disruption, with up to 20pc of easyJet staff understood to have been infected at some bases.

A spokesman for the company said: “We expect to make similar levels of pre-emptive cancellations over the coming days, due to the ongoing high level of sickness.”

Mr Chalk, of Balpa, said that he raised concerns about poetnaital disruption to holidays at a meeting with Robert Courts, the aviation minister, on Jan 25.

He said: “We warned ministers several months ago of the threat of disruption during the Easter holidays because airlines were not building enough resilience in their operations.

“We told Robert Courts. He listened politely, but the Government failed to act.

Another industry figure added: “Everyone is in a very difficult situation. Over the last two years we have all made deep cuts to survive. And demand is coming back super super fast.”

A spokesman for Manchester and Stansted airports said: “We are doing all we can to recruit the staff we need to meet this demand, but this is taking time due to the lengthy vetting and training processes involved.”

A spokesman for the Government said: “The aviation industry is responsible for resourcing at airports and they manage their staff absences, although we want to see minimal disruption for passengers during the Easter period.

“The requirement for counter terrorist checks for aviation security staff is important for the protection of the traveling public and the Government continues to process these security clearances in a timely manner.”

“Everyone is in a very difficult situation”: Airlines brace for a bumpy summer

The wording of a job advert placed by easyJet over the weekend could easily be taken the wrong way, especially given the chaos that has hit airports across the country since then.

“We have disrupted the way people travel since we started 25 years ago, and we don’t intend on stopping,” the airline said in marketing for a “customer disruption officer”.

The successful applicant could look forward to 12-hour shifts with responsibilities including “find solutions for customers who have been affected by disruption” and “send special personalized apology emails during certain events of disruption”.

But easyJet reminded those thinking of applying that it has not become of the world’s biggest no-frills airlines for nothing. “Look to reduce costs during disruption where possible,” was one of six key accountsabilities.

With more than 120 flights cancelled, the first Monday of the Easter holidays did not get off to a good start. Matters at the ports were not much better, as Eurotunnel warned of three-hour delays.

EasyJet, whose cancellations accounted for about half of the total, blamed Covid. It had already culled 200 flights over the weekend.

Sources close to easyJet said that up to a fifth of its workers were off ill in some bases, with standby crews overwhelmed.

Airline rivals were not convinced, however. “Yes, we’ve been affected,” says one executive. “But we haven’t had to cancel any flights.”

Others claimed that easyJet’s plight is partly of its own making.

With its shares faring much worse than competitors Ryanair and Wizz since the start of the pandemic, institutional investors were not afraid to vent their frustrations to easyJet chairman Stephen Hester before Christmas.

In response, the Luton-based carrier ramped up its operations for 2022, hoping to capitalize on the “pent-up” demand of Britons who have been unable to get away.

Although the level of demand has proved to be real – and surpassed the expectations of many industry figures – most airlines and airports have run up against the same problem: the UK’s white-hot labor market.

“Everyone is in a very difficult situation,” says one industry figure. “Over the last two years we have all made deep cuts to survive. And demand is coming back super, super fast.”

EasyJet denies that a lack of staff is its issue. It is understood to have hired 1,100 cabin crew since the start of the year and has only 150 roles to fill.

“[We have] sufficient operating crew and standby crew to manage normal levels of sickness. Unfortunately, high Covid infections across Europe have led to unusually high levels of crew sickness, more than double the normal rate,” a spokesman for the airline says.

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