Busy flights are common this year.
The summer tourist season is underway, with some people traveling overseas for the first time since the Covid pandemic. But what causes chaos at UK airports?
BBC News has spoken to dozens of airline workers anonymously over the past few weeks.
We got the inside story from front-line workers, including pilots, baggage handlers and cabin crew.
Here’s what they had to say about what’s going on behind the scenes and how airports and airlines have responded.
‘The system is way too slow’
A member of British Airways staff at Heathrow Airport told the BBC that many long-haul flights are operating intermittently, which affects crew fatigue. To see also : 2022 NBA offseason grades for all 30 teams: Celtics put on masterclass; Lakers underwhelm; The wolf swings big.
Although airlines are operating above the legal minimum, he said the company is “hiring like crazy to fill vacancies”. This can be a long process, and the delay in fixing the windshield slows things down.
“Whether it’s us, or the bag handlers, we have to do a lot of security checks before work. The system is very slow.”
He said that the behavior of the group is a “mixed bag”, which is very happy to fly with customers again.
However, he described the negative feelings for cabin crew when the plane lands at Heathrow. “You used to sit down and think ’30 minutes later I’ll be on my way home’. Now, it’s ‘how long is this going to take?’
He said the lack of staff and cleaners at the airport is the reason behind the delay in disembarking passengers and crew, including those using wheelchairs.
“None of us feel like we can get off a plane and leave people behind. It’s a huge security risk. I’m sick to death of the delay in doing something like that.”
British Airways told BBC News: “We appreciate the hard work of our colleagues whose well-being is very important to us and we are doing everything we can to support them during this busy time. we are still providing the best service to our customers.”
Throughout the summer, pictures of luggage piled up at the airport have become commonplace.
A senior member of staff at a major airline operating out of Heathrow says the pressure on staff to fix a backlog is making things worse.
“Stress leads to a high rate of sickness and absenteeism. The waiting cover is reduced, which can lead to the cancellation of the flight, even a few hours before the flight takes off.
“We are flying our socks off to the legal minimum and maximum, and many workers are new so it is very difficult. We have to do half of their jobs and it is not what they expected, so they usually just leave.
“Customers are very picky and it can be a lot to take in when it’s someone’s first real job.”
‘The chances of your bag making it are very small’
‘The chances of your bag making it are very slim’
A ground baggage handler, who has worked at Heathrow for 12 years, described the situation as a “trouble”. On the same subject : To launch a mental health program for firefighters to boost fire spending – Oregon Capital Chronicle.
“Imagine a duck wading through the water; it’s crazy,” he told the BBC.
“There are not enough baggage belts for the number of flights. You can wait half an hour for the belt when the plane comes in. Within half an hour, another plane will come in, which makes it difficult 10 times. It’s frustrating. when you come out and see all the passengers.”
In more than a decade of working on the ground, he says he’s never seen anything this bad, including when ash from an Icelandic airliner fell by plane in 2011.
He feels that the problems stem from a lack of investment – on top of recruitment problems – and adds that some of the burdens are set in a system that is almost 40 years old.
He says: “This is like a really bad snow day, but three months of it. “The school holidays are going to get worse. I’m desperate to go on vacation. I wouldn’t want to transfer now – the chances of your bag making it are very slim.”
A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: “We recognize that the baggage handling system at T2 is antiquated – that’s why we want to replace it and have urged the CAA [Civil Aviation Authority] to allow us to invest in a new system new as part of the following regulatory framework.
“There is no shortage of airport staff – all parts of the airport are operational and we have security forces as of summer 2019.
“We have no responsibility for the flight attendants or the flight crew – both work directly for the airlines.”
The summer holidays will be an important test for the industry affected by the impact of Covid.
To try to keep up with the demand on available resources, schedules and interests have been reduced – in some cases, reduced – and some airports have imposed limits on flight or passenger numbers.
The bottom line is that this kind of disruption is better than last minute, late and canceled dates.
Will it be enough to ensure that things go smoothly?
Some airlines seem to have done better than others on the staffing front, and some flights have been canceled more than others.
Airports say they have hired hundreds of new security officers.
But aviation is a complex ecosystem, involving many different groups – and businesses.
There are still limited staff positions, for example, among ground staff.
In general, firms say they have done what they can to minimize the potential for disruption and further delays, and are focusing on getting people off for their long-awaited holidays. But no one can promise a completely trouble-free summer.
Airport staff told BBC News they believed there had been a lack of planning ahead of the summer holidays.
‘I clapped and swore’
‘I got a round of applause and high-fived’
“This year the airport is more chaotic than usual,” according to the pilot, who has worked for Virgin Atlantic for decades. See the article : NBA Summer League: First Impressions on the Top Rookies and Surprise Standouts.
He said the workers have their security lines longer than usual and it is estimated that it is because the workers are few. He added that passenger lines are long this summer, with some people even standing outside.
“Passengers seem to be aware of the stress in the industry. I was called to the stand to pick up a flight we didn’t have a captain on. Passengers were waiting an hour or more for departure from the gate. get some applause and a shower.”
He said the cabin crew told him that the passengers were happy as they continued but the crew themselves were under stress. Cabin crews working in small or near cabins are fatigued.
“I feel like the company has adopted a hostile work culture,” he said.
A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said: “Due to delays in identifying flight IDs for new crew members, we have recently been operating flights with fewer crew than they would have otherwise.
“Staff on all flights fully comply with the strict safety regulations set out by the CAA.
“We recognize the challenges that Heathrow Airport and the wider aviation environment are facing this summer and apologize to any of our customers who have been affected by long waiting times or difficult points on their journey .”
‘Everything goes to the bone’
‘Everything gets cut to the bone’
One pilot, who is taking a break from the industry, told us: “My experience in the aviation industry is gradually declining, with periods of chaos because of the decline and lack of preparation.”
He added that the current problems are the result of decisions made since the start of the Covid epidemic, without considering the increased demand for travel afterwards.
However, his biggest criticism is the drive for cheap and big profits where “everything goes wrong and on rare occasions it will mean a system crash “.
Story by Hayley Clarke, James Kelly, Kris Bramwell, Victoria Park and Bernadette McCague.
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