operators face multi-million pound strike bill

TOUR operators are facing a multi-million pound bill after this week’s strikes in Europe caused severe disruption to holidaymakers.

Operators were forced to rearrange flights, sub-charter aircraft, ship in extra staff and accommodate and feed thousands of affected inbound and outbound passengers.

Thomson described the cost of the operation as “significant”, while a MyTravel spokeswoman admitted the bill for the industry could run into many millions. An estimated 150,000 air passengers were hit after a strike by air-traffic controllers throughout Europe on Wednesday and a general strike in Spain on Thursday.

Scheduled and low-cost carriers were also forced to cancel hundreds of flights. BA shelved 90% of its 160 short-haul flights on Wednesday and 28 on Thursday. Thomson operations director Lee Ormesher said: “The costs incurred as a result of the strikes are significant, not just for us but for the industry as a whole. We have worked 24 hours a day for the past two weeks to ensure passengers reached their destinations.”

Thomson and MyTravel both rescheduled flight times, chartered extra aircraft and offered refunds to disgruntled passengers. First Choice also rearranged flights, but ran a normal Lanzarote service yesterday by securing taxi drivers to transport customers from the airports to resorts. It also flew in 30 extra staff.

Thomas Cook made no rescheduling plans, but insisted delays were kept to a maximum of three hours. The operator limited staff holiday and supplied delayed passengers with blankets and food.

All operators gave inbound passengers affected by the strikes the option of returning home early or an extra night’s stay.