South Africa’s BA operator grounds flights as cash runs out

Comair, the South African operator of British Airways flights, has grounded all of its planes after running out of cash, the company said.

The carrier, which is under administration, also operates budget airline Kulula. Those planes are also grounded, with tickets sales for both airlines suspended.

Comair’s administrators “have advised that the process to raise the necessary capital is in progress and that there is reason to believe such funding may be secured,” the company said in the statement late Tuesday.

“Once received, the airline will be able to recommence operations, but regrettably under these circumstances, the practitioners have no choice but to voluntarily suspend all scheduled flights until the funding is confirmed,” it added.

In May 2020, at the height of pandemic lockdowns, Comair filed for voluntary business rescue — a procedure similar to bankruptcy protection — in order to restructure the company.

By February this year, the company had regained a 40 percent market share and resumed most flights.

South African aviation officials had suspended Comair’s flights for five days in March over safety concerns, dealing a new blow to the company.

EasyJet passengers share travel nightmares from Manchester Airport

One easyJet passenger tweeted a photograph shortly after 4am from Manchester Airport showing a long queue of people in a car park outside Terminal 1.

He described the situation as “carnage”, adding: “Took two hours 45 minutes to get through – most of that was bag drop. Now on the aircraft, but due to shortage of ground crew, there’s going to be another delay of approximately 50 minutes.”

Another easyJet passenger said they had to wait for two hours and 40 minutes to receive their luggage after landing at Gatwick Airport shortly before 3am.

He said this was “simply not good enough”.

Union says aviation firms ‘should hang their heads in shame’

Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham said those in charge of UK aviation companies “should hang their heads in shame”.

She went on: “They got very rich on high profits and low pay.

“They then sacked and slashed wages for thousands of workers without a second thought during the pandemic.

“Now they are reaping what they have sown because, understandably, people don’t want to work for them anymore.”

Passengers wait for eight hours to find out TUI flight to Greece is cancelled

Passengers who had waited eight hours for a flight from Manchester to Greece were told it was cancelled by an armed cop.

He read a statement saying: “What’s going to happen is this — you’re all going to get a full refund for the holiday you have purchased.

“There is also going to be a £350 per person worth of compensation. You will also get a £200 holiday voucher per person to go on another holiday.”

Steven Hession and his wife ­Kerrie received a text from TUI while at their Manchester airport departure gate, saying their holiday to Kos was axed due to “significant operational disruption”.

British Gas worker Steven, 45, said: “It was horrendous.”

Government says airports are ‘busier than usual’

A Government spokeswoman said airports are “busier than usual” due to “an exceptionally high number of people travelling” this week.

She continued: “The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.

“In addition, using our post-Brexit freedoms, we have changed the law to provide the sector with more flexibility when training new employees, which will help it to fill vacancies more quickly.

“We have also worked with Border Force to ensure preparations meet passenger demand.”

‘An utter shambles’ blasts furious Heathrow passengers

One passenger described Heathrow Terminal 5 as an “utter shambles”, with a “gigantic queue for security”.

A Twitter user posted an image of a queue at Manchester Airport that stretched along a car park, describing the situation as “madness”.

Another passenger at the airport said arriving travellers were waiting for more than three hours to get their luggage.

She wrote: “People have just abandoned them. We were told to come back during the week for ours.”

‘How you can claim compensation if your travel plans are cancelled’ (3/3)

James said: “People who bought their accommodation and activities as part of a package deal can claim compensation in the event their flight is cancelled. However, it gets a little murkier if you booked them separately yourself.

“The good news is that travel insurance should pay out if your airline is unable to get you to your destination and you miss out on your holiday as a result.

“People without travel insurance, however, are left at the mercy of the cancellation and refund policies at their destination. “

Rory Boland, editor at Which? Travel, said for people who are planning on heading to the airport in the next couple of days, to avoid taking luggage which needs to be checked in as this can delay you getting through to security, which can be an additional stress.

He added: “If you are checking in bags, make sure you keep valuables in your cabin bags.

“We are hearing from people who are getting to their destinations and those things are getting lost.”

Rory said this was due to a shortage of baggage handlers and general staff across the aviation industry.

Rory’s general advice for customers looking to book holidays later this summer was to book flexible holidays, as even if you receive a refund or compensation for your flight, it might not cover the cost of cancelled accommodation or tours.

“Look at hotels, look for tour operators who allow you to cancel without paying a penalty,” he said.

“Air BnB will tell you about the cancellation policy. I would be looking at places that offer 100% back.

“£220 (compensation) is a lot of money but if you have booked a family holiday, it’s not going to cover you for that 3 or 4* hotel.”

There have been reports of customers turning up extra early for their flights, but Rory said to turn up when the airline tells you to to avoid extra congestion in airports.

But he also said to make sure you turn up on time, so that if your flight is cancelled, it makes claiming for a refund, re-booking or compensation easier.

“In terms of turning up at the airport, I know people are worried about that in normal times.

“Turn up at the time that the airport is advising you to, that gives you some protection if something goes wrong.”

‘How you can claim compensation if your travel plans are cancelled’ (2/3)

James said if you are trapped at the airport, the airline is required to supply you with food and drink (generally through vouchers), a means for you to communicate (i.e. refunding your calls), accommodation if you are re-routed the next day and transport to and from your accommodation.

“If the airline staff are too stretched thin to organise this for you, you have the right to organise reasonable equivalents yourself, then claim the costs back later – so make sure you keep any receipts,” he said.

“If your flight is cancelled outright, you can choose between a refund for all the parts of the ticket you’ve not used or or an alternate flight.

“Sadly, compensation is not automatic, so you need to contact the airline directly to make your claim.

When it comes to the rest of your holiday, what compensation you get depends on how you booked, James said.

‘How you can claim compensation if your travel plans are cancelled’ (1/3)

Amidst today’s chaos, James Andrews, senior personal finance expert at money.co.uk has given his best advice for getting compensation if you are a traveller who has had a flight cancelled or delayed.

He said: “Your first port of call is the airline itself.

“If you’re flying out of the UK, you’re legally entitled to compensation once your arrival is delayed by two hours or more.”

How much you get under EU compensation rules depends on when the airline told you about the delay.

James adds: “How much you get depends on when the airline told you about the delay, how long it is and where you’re flying. But the least you’re entitled to £110 while the most you can claim is £520.”

‘Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and the disappointment’

Some Tui passengers were left in tears yesterday when exhausted cops were forced to tell them their flight was cancelled, reading a statement from the airline.

Others have been forced to wait more than eight hours for their flights as queues sweep UK terminals.

Tui this week blamed its long list of flight cancellations on “a combination of factors”.

And a lengthy statement on its travel page reads: “Recently, due to a combination of factors causing significant operations disruptions, we made the difficult decision to cancel some of our flights.

“If you are affected by a flight cancellation and were travelling on a Tui package holiday, this means your whole holiday is impacted and thus cancelled.

“Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and the disappointment that this decision has caused. Please be assured that we have not taken this decision lightly.”

Travel warning – I’m a holiday expert and Brits need to check their insurance NOW

This is a comment piece by Lisa Minot

TRAVELLERS due to fly out of UK airports are being warned to check their travel insurance policies to make sure they’re covered as chaos continues to plague getaways.

Any airline cancelling your flight within two weeks is legally obliged to give you compensation as well as either a refund or alternative flight as well as food, drink and even accommodation if you’re delayed overnight.

Even lengthy delays mean compensation – if you’re delayed more than three hours on or short and mid haul flights and four hours on long haul flights.

But holidaymakers caught up in the chaos over half term and the Jubilee weekend have found themselves out of pocket if they miss out on car hire, accommodation or are forced to splash out on extra costs like taxis or meals.

And with horror stories about bags missing flights or failing to be delivered when families head home, it’s never been more important to check your travel insurance has cover so you won’t be spending precious holiday money on unnecessary expenses.

Read more here

Jubilee Bank Holiday traffic: Map reveals roads with WORST delays

The roads expecting the worst traffic during the Jubilee Bank Holiday have been revealed.

Brits getting in their motors have been told which routes to avoid with some expected to face whopping delays of up to 88 minutes.

19.5 million road trips will be made between Wednesday and Sunday thanks to the double bank holiday, according to the RAC.

And data collected by the company shows that a large stretch of the M5 southbound could have delays of nearly a whopping 90 minutes.

Traffic will be at its worst between Almondsbury Interchange, between Bristol and the Severn Bridge, and the junction with the A38 near Bridgwater, data indicates.

Paris airports returning to normal

The Paris Airport authority, which runs Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, said software problems impacting French Border Police controls and checks could lead to delays.

Now the authority says the computer system is gradually going back to normal.

Cancelled flights from today

Bristish Airways has cancelled at least 124 short-haul flights at Heathrow on Wednesday.

The airline says Heathrow passengers were given advance notice.

EasyJet cancelled at least 31 flights at Gatwick, including to destinations such as Bologna, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Krakow, Poland; and Edinburgh.

Meanwhile in an effort to manage the long waits at both check in and airport security, Ryanair has issued a warning to passengers travelling in the next few days.

The news comes a day after TUI Airways cancelled nearly 200 flights between now and the end of June as the chaos faced by UK holidaymakers worsens.

TUI, Europe’s biggest tourism firm, is cancelling six flights a day for the rest of June amid fears airport chaos could now last the entire summer.

Around two million people are set to fly over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend but yesterday saw yet more chaos at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol.

TUI is STILL advertising bargain breaks despite axing 30,000 seats

TUI is still advertising its bargain breaks – despite axing holidays for more than 30,000 passengers this summer.

Customers were left furious today after spotting the airline’s ads on TV and social media as millions of Brits had their travel plans crushed.

Tui yesterday announced it would be cancelling around 43 flights a week until June 30 to prevent further problems seen at UK airports this week.

The cancellations will be to and from Manchester Airport and will affect nearly 200 flights and around 34,000 passengers.

But despite the mass destruction of plans nationwide, customers claim they are still being targeted for trips – with many spotting adverts for Tui on TV and online.

One person wrote on Twitter: “What are they still advertising on TV/Social Media for holidays right now when cancelling and ruining hundreds off peoples breaks!!!! Such a joke.”

Another said: “Big business running amok with peoples lives the same as TUI cancelling umpteen flights a day leaving holiday makers stranded but still advertising package holidays they know they can’t deliver on!”

Someone else wrote: “TUI have a cheek advertising on TV #ThisMorning.

“The companies who are cancelling holidays should be banned from advertising holidays for this year, TUI, in particular are pushing holidays thot they are clearly struggling to deliver.”

‘Don’t paint us as the bad guy’

A travel association has take the move to criticise the government.

The associations has hit out at the government, claiming they should not be ‘painting them as the bad guy’.

Dominic Rabb, the Deputy Prime Minister, told the BBC this morning that, the responsibility lay with the aviation and holiday sector to increase their staffing.

But Gemma Antrobus, chair of Association of Independent Tour Operators, says the situation could have been avoided if the government had provided more help.

Gemma said: “And now, when it comes into the situation that we have now, they put the thing back on us when we asked for help in the first place.”

Grant Shapps to meet leading figures from the UK aviation sector

According to the BBC, leading figures from the UK aviation sector will meet with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps this afternoon.

Earlier today Mr Shapps accused the industry of overselling flights and holidays.

He said he planned to meet with airports, airlines and ground handlers to “find out what’s gone wrong and how they are planning to end the current run of cancellations and delays”

EasyJet flight cancellations

EasyJet has cancelled more than 30 flights today, as part of their schedule reduction until June 6.

This includes flights from London Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh.

Destinations across Europe include:

• Amsterdam
• Bologna
• Bordeaux
• Catania
• Funchal (Madeira)
• Krakow
• Ljubljana
• Munich
• Pisa
• Prague
• Pristina
• Sofia
• Valencia
• Venice

Ryanair travel warning as 200 flights a day face disruption

Ryanair passengers are being warned of travel disruption this summer, which could affect as many as 200 flights a day.

Baggage handlers at Blue Handling are threatening strike action due to pay cuts, which will affect hundreds of flights if it goes ahead.

Union Unite has warned that unless they get a substantial pay rise then they will walk out over the summer.

And with airlines already facing huge problems with delayed and cancelled flights, it could result in even more chaos for Brits hoping to go abroad during the peak holiday season.

Blue Handling employs more than 750 staff, which handles 200 flights a day during the busy season.

Eurostar tells travellers to arrive as normal

Travelers arriving at St Pancras in central London are experiencing long queues for the Eurostar.

The Eurostar has said: “Our stations are very busy today.

“Passport and security checks are taking longer than usual due to issues with French authority control systems.

“Please arrive at the ticket gates at the time shown on your ticket as normal.”

In pictures: Busy Heathrow Terminal 2 as passengers face crippling delays

A busy Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 as passengers continue to face lengthy delays over the half term and forthcoming 4-day bank holiday.

Terminal 2 appears to be the busiest this week so far with extra security drafted in to organise the queues and keep some sort of order as passengers get increasingly frustrated

Airports across Europe have struggled to cope with the rebound in demand but British airports are facing a particularly difficult week as a school half-term holiday combines with a long Jubilee public holiday weekend.

Grant Shapps DEMANDS meeting with aviation bosses

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has demanded a meeting with aviation bosses to find out “what’s gone wrong” as travel chaos worsens across the country.

Airlines continued to axe flights on Tuesday with passengers forced to wait for hours at airports including Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol.

Heathrow passengers trying to board their flights claimed they had “never” seen queues as long as those on Tuesday morning.

Passengers have been hit by disruption for several months, with the situation worsening this week due to the rise in demand sparked by the half-term school holiday and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period.

The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after laying thousands of people off during the coronavirus pandemic and is struggling to recruit more.

Airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government restrictions suppressed demand.

BA cancels 124 short-haul flights from Heathrow

British Airways has cancelled at least 124 short-haul flights at Heathrow on Wednesday.

The airline says passengers were given advance notice.

EasyJet has cancelled at least 31 flights at Gatwick, including to destinations such as Bologna, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Krakow, Poland; and Edinburgh.

Labour accuses Government of being ‘missing in action’

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Government of being “missing in action”.

“Tory ministers can’t even get the basics right,” she said.

“They should show some responsibility, do their job, and take concrete steps to tackle the chaos growing on their watch.”

Grant Shapps tells airlines to stop selling tickets for flights they can’t staff

Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told airlines to stop selling tickets for flights they cannot staff after a spate of airline cancellations caused widespread disruption for holidaymakers.

Airports across Europe have struggled to cope with the rebound in demand but British airports are facing a particularly difficult week as a school half-term holiday combines with a long Jubilee public holiday weekend.

Airports faced similar queues over the Easter vacation, and Shapps said that while some steps had been taken, there had not been the progress that is needed.

“We need to make sure there is no repeat of the scenes witnessed over the last few days. Despite government warnings, operators seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver,” Shapps said.

“This must not happen again and all efforts should be directed at there being no repeat of this over the summer.”