Heathrow warns of more flight cancellations as disruption continues

Heathrow airport warned of more flight cancellations while low-cost Wizz Air became the latest airline to cut its flying plans, highlighting how this summer’s travel disruption is hitting every part of the aviation industry. The UK’s busiest airport said it would tell airlines to cancel more flights operating from its airfield if needed, after admitting the service “has not been acceptable” at times this summer. “We have already seen times recently when demand exceeds the capacity of the airport, airlines and ground handlers,” said John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s CE. “We will review the schedule changes that airlines have submitted in response to the government’s requirement to minimise disruption for passengers this summer and will ask them to take further action if necessary,” he added. Passengers at Heathrow were also hit by last-minute disruption after the airport told airlines to cancel 61 out of the roughly 1,100 flights scheduled to operate on Monday. “We are expecting higher passenger numbers in terminals 3 and 5 today than the airport currently has capacity to serve,” the airport said. The fresh disruption came as Wizz Air said it would cut back its flight plans for the peak summer period by 5 per cent and that the measures would “avoid cancellations and secure a more punctual operation”. Airlines across Europe have been forced to cut back their plans for the summer as staffing shortages across the industry have left them unable to operate their original schedules. The schedule cuts at Wizz are smaller than those seen at many other airlines. EasyJet has cut back its plans for the current quarter by about 7%, while BA has cancelled 13% of its flights originally scheduled to fly between March and October.<br/>