It comes after another week of travel chaos at Heathrow, when the airport ordered flights canceled because it could not handle them. On Thursday and Friday, passengers at the airport complained of long queues, canceled flights and lost luggage as “schedule disruption” and disruption at UK airports was compounded by strikes in Spain. The airline told the PA it welcomed “slot relief” measures that allow airlines to temporarily reduce their routes but keep their seats for next year. An airline spokesman told PA news agency that its cancellations, prompted by the amnesty on takeoff and landing slots, “will help us provide the certainty our customers deserve by facilitating the consolidation of some of the quieter daily flights us to multi-frequency destinations much sooner.” It comes after the Daily Telegraph reported that BA services at Heathrow will be hit harder by a series of new cancellations. “Allocation of slots according to [World Airport Slots Guide system] it means airlines can deliver the consistent service and efficient connections that consumers are looking for and protect jobs and create growth in the UK.” The threat of industrial action also continues to loom. BA staff are demanding 10% of the pay they were “stolen” last year as they faced “fire and rehire” tactics during the pandemic.
