MPs on the transport select committee will quiz bosses from across the sector next Wednesday (October 13) about this summer’s travel disruption – and the prospects for further chaos.
Representing the aviation sector will be Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate; easyJet chief commercial officer Sophie Dekkers; and Lisa Tremble, corporate and sustainability director at British Airways.
Giving evidence about the ports disruption will be Doug Bannister, chief executive at Port of Dover, and Paul Davey, head of corporate affairs at Hutchison Ports (UK), which covers Felixstowe, Harwich and London Thamesport.
Travel journalist Simon Calder will appear, as will Richard Scott, director of corporate affairs at West Coast Partnership rail franchise; Tim Shoveller, chief negotiator at Network Rail; and Miles Hubbard, regional officer at Unite the Union.
Huw Merriman (pictured), chairman of the transport select committee and Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle, has recently written in The House magazine about this summer’s travel disruption affecting roads, rail, ports and aviation.
He said flight cancellations were “a symptom of the Covid hangover” as staffing levels fell when planes were grounded in 2020.
“Airports have faced real challenges in getting staff back onto the front line, resulting in cancellations and passenger number caps,” he wrote.
“Action has been taken to alleviate pressures, with the government streamlining application and training processes.
“Yet passengers are still facing an unprecedented level of disruption and uncertainty.
“Solving the industrial disputes, dealing with the fundamental causes of cancellations and ensuring services have the revenue to continue will not be easy. But they are challenges that must be met.”
I have written in @TheHouseMag about the #TravelDisruption the country faced over the summer and the challenges ahead. Looking forward to following up on some of these themes during the @TransportCttee session on travel disruption next week pic.twitter.com/7RVn1MZF3W
— Huw Merriman MP (@HuwMerriman) October 4, 2022