Thousands of easyJet customers are facing major disruption after the airline axed 1,700 flights from its main base of Gatwick.
Around 180,000 passengers have had their flights cancelled at the last minute, with flights scheduled for July, August and September grounded.
Currently, there are approximately 9,000 customers without an alternative route, after the company said it had booked 95 percent of travellers on replacements.
Under European laws, which still apply in Britain, passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to travel on alternative airlines that have seats available on the same day, at the expense of the airline initially booked with.
Around 180,000 easyJet (pictured) passengers have had their flights cancelled at the last minute
If a flight has been grounded with less than two weeks’ notice, passengers are entitled by law to compensation of up to £350.
The airline has cited ‘unprecedented’ air-traffic control delays for the disruption, saying they are three times longer than pre-pandemic levels.
However, a number of sources have claimed that the real reason for the delays is a result of easyJet not having a sufficient number of pilots to operate its summer schedule, the Independent reported.
Aviation veteran Paul Charles, chief executive of the travel consultancy, said: ‘I’ve been warning for some time that our UK airport infrastructure, along with continuing people shortages at airlines and ground handlers, cannot cope with the massive summer demand.
‘Just when you thought you had secured a flight to your summer holiday paradise, it gets changed and causes more inconvenience and stress.
‘Airlines have to get better at planning and delivering, not letting down customers at short notice. EasyJet aren’t the first and won’t be the last to take such action this summer.’
Over 40 flights to and from Gatwick were cancelled on Saturday alone, leaving more than 6,000 passengers affected.
Dozens more easyJet flights were axed on Sunday, which included trips to popular summer holiday destinations such as Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante.
A number of passengers had their flights cancelled over the weekend while they were stood waiting at the gate.
Neither Ryanair or Jet2 made any flight cancellations at London Stansted airport over the weekend, further fuelling rumours that easyJet is understaffed.
Meanwhile, easyjet’s rivals at Gatwick cancelled just eight flights between them in comparison.
Disruptions from easyJet come off the back of this week’s news European air traffic controllers have this week warned they will strike in a dispute over staffing levels, with unions claiming that bosses have not done enough to replace staff who retired during the pandemic.
Putin’s war in Ukraine has also had a detrimental impact on the amount of available airspace for commercial flights over the continent.
This could mean continued disruption for holidaymakers looking to take a trip to areas of eastern Europe, such as Poland.
Popular summer destinations such as Barcelona are likely to face more disruption as the summer continues
European air traffic management body Eurocontrol warned that many key areas are expected to be hit by high overloads, so air traffic flow and capacity management measures will need to be taken, causing delays and flight cancellations.
There are reports that up to three in ten European flights could be at risk of delay or cancellation this summer, following the warnings from air traffic controllers.
Up to 12,600 flights a day could be disrupted as a result of the walk-outs, an industry source told The Times.
They warned: ‘In a full-blown strike, 20 to 30 per cent of flights would be at least delayed. They are big numbers.’
