The government’s 22-point plan to combat flight disruption has been dismissed as an “emperor with no clothes” despite industry leaders welcoming the announcement.
One aviation source said: “There was nothing new in the plan apart from a bit about recruitment, but not until the autumn, so it won’t resolve anything today. Nothing else was new.
“We suspect it and the release about how fast security staff vetting is going means the government is getting ready to point the finger at the industry.”
Disruption appears certain to remain in the news as unions prepare to announce strike dates by British Airways check-in staff at Heathrow and airlines to announce further flight cancellations ahead of Friday’s deadline for carriers to take advantage of a relaxation of slot-use rules at airports.
The source said: “We need less of ministers arguing with the industry and more giving confidence and advice to passengers.
“The 22-point plan looks impressive. Some measures are helpful – the security alleviation, the slot amnesty. But the points are not new. The emperor has no clothes.
“Airlines are looking at their schedules, but some are concerned they will lose slots at the other end of routes [if they cancel services], and new cancellations will probably be portrayed negatively [in the media].”
A leading airline source agreed the plan “publicised what we’ve been working on. It was drawn up by the [joint industry-government] resilience group. It is useful to have a list of what is being done to reassure people. But there is no overnight fix.
“Lots of passengers have a good experience. We have to minimise the number who don’t and not let it appear the norm.”
However, the source acknowledged: “We’re not through this yet. There are things outside our control such as EU airspace delays. We can’t alleviate that. These are having a huge impact on short-haul flights.”
It remains unclear how many more advance flight cancellations could be announced to avoid last‑minute disruption.
The source said: “Some carriers have put in cancellations already. But it’s complex. It affects global networks. People can’t expect miracles.”
There was no change in the position of the Unite and GMB unions representing 700 BA check-in staff as Travel Weekly went to press, with strikes due to be announced by the end of this week and likely to be on the weekends of July 22 and July 29.
The spate of cancellations at easyJet saw the resignation of chief operating officer Peter Bellew, but the carrier said it had no plans to make further cancellations. A spokeswoman said: “We’ve completed pre-emptive cancellations for the summer. Almost all customers have been notified.”
BA this week confirmed it would cut 1,500 summer flights in addition to a 10% reduction in its schedule at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City made two months ago, describing the cancellations as “regrettable”.
Passengers at Heathrow faced fresh disruption at the weekend after an IT failure left aircraft unable to refuel.
Unions representing Ryanair cabin crew in Spain called for an additional 12 days of strikes this month and staff at easyJet bases in Spain began the first in a series of three-day strikes.
Ryanair said it expected minimal disruption due to strikes but warned of “air traffic control and airport staff shortages across Europe” causing disruption.