Holidays 'panic' as summer flights from Gatwick are cut
The Independent|June 18, 2022
Pacaration ares Passengers may not find out if their flight is affected for weeks, an expert warned
HOLLY BANCROFT
Holidays 'panic' as summer flights from Gatwick are cut

Tens of thousands of people face weeks of holiday uncertainty as it emerged airlines have yet to agree which summer flights will be scrapped, despite Gatwick announcing up to 50 cancellations a day.

Holidaymakers with trips booked from the Sussex airport could be waiting up to two weeks to find find out whether their flight will be cancelled, one travel expert told The Independent. And even then, many might not be able to rebook due to an ongoing lack of capacity.

Gatwick airport announced yesterday that it was reducing the number of flights during July and August because of staff shortages. Daily flights will be cut to 825 in July and 850 in August. This means 478 flights could be cancelled in the crucial summer months, leaving around 76,000 passengers stranded, according to analysis of data from aviation analytics company Cirium.

Travel expert Paul Charles, from the PC travel agency, told The Independent that a "sizeable number" of people affected will not be able to rebook their flights, despite easyJet - the biggest airline at Gatwick airport - reassuring customers they could have their holidays rearranged. Affected travellers have yet to find out if their holidays will go ahead because airlines haven't yet decided which flights will be axed. They will have to negotiate with the Airport Coordination Authority before schedules are finalised.

This story is from the June 18, 2022 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the June 18, 2022 edition of The Independent.

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