The majority of airline passengers want to speak to someone when their flight is delayed or cancelled rather than receive automated information.
That is according to research by flight disruption management group CMAC which surveyed 1,100 UK adults in early summer who had flown in the past year.
More than half (54%) had experienced flight disruption in the previous 12 months – with half of these suffering delays in excess of three hours and one in 10 respondents delayed for more than 12 hours or failing to reach their destination.
Two out of three (63%) agreed automated technology had improved the experience at airports, but 82% wanted to deal with a person when their flight was delayed or cancelled.
The research found airlines failed to support disrupted passengers adequately. Not quite half (47%) of those requiring alternative transport arrangements had help from their airline, but 53% made their own arrangements or had them made by another member of their group.
Two in five passengers (39%) entitled to overnight accommodation reported being supported by their airline, but 61% made their own arrangements or had a member of their party do so.
Airlines’ communications were rated ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ by 38% and only one third (32%) said they received communication from staff on the ground. Three quarters (77%) agreed they would “like greater levels of assistance from experienced ground staff”.
CMAC chief executive Peter Slater noted: “It’s clear there is significant room for improvement in the quality of the airline response to disruption. Technology needs to be used as an enabler not a replacement for airline and ground handling staff.”
The Airlines for Europe (A4E) group noted last week that the average delay per flight in the EU “soared by over 400%” last year, according to a report by the Single European Sky’s Performance Review Body (PRB).
A4E said European airspace was “struggling to keep up with demand” and warned disruption “will continue to impact airline operations and inconvenience millions of passengers”.
Ourania Georgoutsakou, A4E managing director, insisted: “We need to bolster Europe’s airspace capacity [and] drive reforms in its operations.”
Ryanair called again on EC president Ursula von der Leyen to act to protect overflights or to resign during the latest French air traffic control (ATC) strike on October 13, noting it was the 64th day of ATC strikes this year.
However, European air navigation body Eurocontrol reported the first full week of October saw the lowest number of flight delays since early May, with 69% of departures and 75% of arrivals on time. It noted ATC capacity and staffing levels were responsible for three-quarters (77%) of delays.
The UK saw the most flights in Europe but accounted for less than 2% of air traffic control delays. Germany accounted for 37% of en-route delays and France 23%.