BA cuts flights as it struggles to rehire after axing 10,000 staff
British Airways has been forced to cut flight schedules further as it struggles to hire staff quickly enough to meet renewed demand for travel after culling nearly 10,000 jobs during the pandemic, raising concerns the carrier could miss out on a bumper summer for European airlines. The airline is cutting 10% of its flight schedules between March and October, just as its parent IAG and other leading European groups Air France-KLM and Lufthansa predict a strong travel revival this summer. BA CE Sean Doyle said the airline had cut the equivalent of 8,000 round trips, three-quarters on short-haul routes, in a blow to the carrier just as passengers flood back with the easing of travel restrictions. The hiring problem means IAG now expects flying schedules to rise to 80% of pre-pandemic levels this year, down from 85% forecast in February. This includes restoring almost all its normal capacity on transatlantic routes this summer. “The rebuild is challenging . . . the US carriers had similar rebuild problems earlier in the process, we see problems in Europe and the UK industry getting the system back up and running,” said Doyle. The carrier plans to hire 6,000 staff this year after the cuts during the pandemic. More than 20,000 people have applied for a job at the airline, but like other parts of the industry it is facing significant delays because government security vetting procedures are dealing with an unusually large number of cases. The Cabinet Office said it was prioritising vetting applications from the aviation industry, but added: “It is for the aviation industry to manage resourcing at airports and staff absences, especially at busy times of the year.” <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2022-05-09/oneworld/ba-cuts-flights-as-it-struggles-to-rehire-after-axing-10-000-staff
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BA cuts flights as it struggles to rehire after axing 10,000 staff
British Airways has been forced to cut flight schedules further as it struggles to hire staff quickly enough to meet renewed demand for travel after culling nearly 10,000 jobs during the pandemic, raising concerns the carrier could miss out on a bumper summer for European airlines. The airline is cutting 10% of its flight schedules between March and October, just as its parent IAG and other leading European groups Air France-KLM and Lufthansa predict a strong travel revival this summer. BA CE Sean Doyle said the airline had cut the equivalent of 8,000 round trips, three-quarters on short-haul routes, in a blow to the carrier just as passengers flood back with the easing of travel restrictions. The hiring problem means IAG now expects flying schedules to rise to 80% of pre-pandemic levels this year, down from 85% forecast in February. This includes restoring almost all its normal capacity on transatlantic routes this summer. “The rebuild is challenging . . . the US carriers had similar rebuild problems earlier in the process, we see problems in Europe and the UK industry getting the system back up and running,” said Doyle. The carrier plans to hire 6,000 staff this year after the cuts during the pandemic. More than 20,000 people have applied for a job at the airline, but like other parts of the industry it is facing significant delays because government security vetting procedures are dealing with an unusually large number of cases. The Cabinet Office said it was prioritising vetting applications from the aviation industry, but added: “It is for the aviation industry to manage resourcing at airports and staff absences, especially at busy times of the year.” <br/>
