British Airways announced Tuesday it will cancel 1,500 summer flights after already removing 10% of its flights from the schedule between April and October this spring.
The cancellations will affect tens of thousands of passengers flying from Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom, mostly in July, as the industry struggles to keep up with travel rebounds amid staffing shortages.
2022 FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS HAVE ALREADY SURPASSED LAST YEAR’S TOTAL
“We took pre-emptive action earlier this year to reduce our summer schedule to provide customers with as much notice as possible about any changes to their travel plans,” a spokesperson for the airline told the BBC. “As the entire aviation industry continues to face into the most challenging period in its history, regrettably it has become necessary to make some further reductions.”
The latest round of cancellations means that about 11% of the U.K. carrier’s flights are affected in total.
Passengers affected by the cancellations will be able to rebook with the airline or receive a full refund.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Disruptions to air travel have been compounded by a number of factors, including shortages of pilots and air traffic controllers, weather complications, and airlines scheduling flights past their capacities. Flight cancellations in the past six months have already surpassed totals for 2021, according to FlightAware.
