Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, May 09, 2025

Airlines face further pressure over cancellations as one company benefits from the chaos

Airlines face further pressure over cancellations as one company benefits from the chaos

WH Smith reports bumper travel sales after airports are widely gripped by queues due to flight disruption which the government is demanding airlines tackle through better management of their schedules.

As airlines are told they must have "deliverable" schedules in a bid to avoid a repeat of the recent chaos at airports, one company has seemingly enjoyed a boost from the queues.

WH Smith, which has a major presence at UK airports, reported on Wednesday that it had seen bumper travel business trading during its third financial quarter to 11 June.

The end of May and early June saw tens of thousands of holidaymakers affected by delays and cancellations as airlines and airports grappled staff shortages.

The problems have existed since Easter when flight volumes rose after the end of COVID restrictions.

Following a hearing by MPs into the causes of the half-term mayhem on Tuesday, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a joint letter to the aviation industry calling on companies to take "all possible steps" to "avoid the unacceptable scenes we have recently witnessed".

It stated that earlier cancellations are "better" than axing flights on the day of departure.

The Independent's travel editor Simon Calder, who was among the witnesses giving evidence to the parliamentary committee, told Sky News that British Airways and easyJet were the two airlines giving the most cause for concern.

"British Airways and easyJet are cancelling flights in extraordinary numbers," he said.

"BA have cancelled more than 100 short haul, European and domestic flights today but they cancelled those generally two or three weeks ago and gave plenty of warning.

"EasyJet cancelled 40 flights to and from Gatwick today and they quite often gave a few days and maybe in some cases, a few hours' notice.

"The letter... is aimed squarely at easyJet - the part which says you've got to have a 'deliverable' schedule."

He said there were lots of instances, he added, of the airline cancelling one of its frequent daily services and moving passengers onto different flights.

Both airlines, which cut staff after international travel was grounded in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic, told the MPs they were sorry for the disruption and working hard to bolster their schedules.

Under questioning, BA's representative refused to admit that its decision to axe more than 10,000 workers had damaged its ability to deliver services but it, like easyJet, argued that hiring efforts were being hampered by big delays in securing security clearances.

The return of passenger volumes since March has come as a welcome relief for airports and their associated businesses.


WH Smith said its UK airport shops performed better than rail when compared to 2019 levels - likely a consequence of many commuters continuing to work from home rather than offices.

The company said it expected its full-year performance to reach the higher end of analysts' forecasts because of the travel boost.

It credited the recovery in its North American and British markets, with its total travel business revenue at 123% of pre-pandemic levels in the quarter.

However, it said sales in its high street stores continued to lag those seen in 2019.

Shares were almost 7% up at the open.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×