MADRID – Around 180,000 Easyjet customers have lost their holidays after the airline decided to cancel 1,700 flights scheduled for this summer. This mainly concerns flights to and from London-Gatwick.
For weeks now, the airline, which is not performing badly and managed to increase its profits, has been struggling with widespread delays on its flights. That is why Easyjet has chosen to adjust its flight schedule and cancel 1,700 flights in advance, instead of cancelling at the last minute as they have done so far.
The vast majority, about 95%, of affected passengers have already been rebooked on a flight close to their original flight time. But about 9,000 people have no alternative and have to reschedule their holidays. However, they can get their money back or book another flight.
‘Only a few flights’ reduced
An Easyjet spokesman has stated that all airlines are making adjustments to their flight schedules and that they have reduced ‘only a few’ flights. As a spokesman puts it: The number of cancelled flights is very low, only 1,700 of a total of 90,000 flights during the summer period.
However, the problems have been piling up in recent days. The airline says the cancellations, particularly between July and September to and from Gatwick, are not due to pilot or crew shortages. On the contrary, Easyjet has more employees than ever working on its planes.
The cause lies with European air traffic controllers
Meanwhile, the British airline, which also operates many flights to Spain, said it blamed the situation with air traffic controllers across Europe for the delays. There is a constant threat of widespread strikes and reduced air capacity as a result of the war in Ukraine restricting flight schedules.
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