Amid chaotic scenes at London Heathrow today after the airport forced the last-minute cancellation of 30 flights from this morning's schedule as it revealed it couldn’t cope with the expected level of passenger numbers (some 1,200 flights were scheduled to leave throughout the day), the UK Government has revealed a 22-point plan to support the aviation industry to tackle such disruption throughout the summer season.
The plan (detailed below) includes support for recruiting and training more staff, ensuring the delivery of a realistic summer schedule, minimising disruption, and supporting passengers when delays and cancellations are unavoidable.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Holidaymakers deserve certainty ahead of their first summer getaways free of travel restrictions. While it’s never going to be possible to avoid every single delay or cancellation, we’ve been working closely with airports and airlines to make sure they are running realistic schedules.
“The 22 measures we’ve published today set out what we’re doing to support the industry. It’s now on airports and airlines to commit to running the flights they’ve promised or cancel them with plenty of time to spare so we can avoid the kind of scenes we saw at Easter and half term.
“With 100 days having passed since we set out that restrictions would be eased, there’s simply no excuse for widespread disruption.”
Aviation Minister Robert Courts said: “The action we’ve taken to support airlines and airports isn’t just about minimising disruption this summer, but helping the sector recruit the staff it needs for the long term. I look forward to continuing to support them in this effort where we can.”
The 22 point plan
1) The UK Government and the CAA have set out 5 specific expectations to the industry to deliver a successful summer operation:
summer schedules must be reviewed to make sure they are deliverable;
everyone from ground handlers to air traffic control must collaborate on resilience planning;
passengers must be promptly informed of their consumer rights when things go wrong and – if necessary – compensation in good time;
disabled and less mobile passengers must be given assistance they require;
safety and security must never be compromised.
2) The UK Government has introduced new regulations on airport slots that give airlines the tools to ensure that airline schedules are manageable and reduce flight disruption over the summer peak.
3) The UK Government has strengthened industry-government working, by establishing a new weekly Strategic Risk Group, chaired by ministers and attended by airline, airport and ground handler CEOs to ensure they are prepared for summer and can meet the schedules.
4) The UK Government has established a weekly Summer Resilience Group with airline, airport and ground handler operational directors to help them work through their pinch-points in the aviation system as they emerge and work collaboratively on solutions.
5) The UK Government has established a joint Home Office and DfT Ministerial Border Group to identify and prepare for high levels of demand at the UK border.
6) The UK Government has worked with the major airlines and airports to get weekly updates and assurances to government that they can run their schedule of summer flights.
7) The UK Government is working with international partners, neighbouring countries and EUROCONTROL, to ensure that disruption is minimised through coordinated planning and cooperation across airspace boundaries.
8) The UK Government is undertaking a review of the ground handling market to seek out opportunities to improve quality and consistency of service.
9) The UK Government will launch a new Aviation Passenger Charter, a one-stop guide for passengers informing them of their rights, responsibilities and what they can reasonably expect of the aviation industry when flying.
10) The UK Government has worked with the CAA and industry to publish and promote guidance for passengers as part of a joint campaign of activity to communicate things they need to know and do when travelling by air this summer, helping to speed up processing time and reduce queues and delays.
11) The UK Government has written to airlines to remind them of their legal responsibilities in providing information, care and assistance, refunds, and compensation.
12) The UK Government is working with the CAA reviewing airlines current practices to ensure legal responsibilities in providing information, care and assistance, refunds, and compensation are being met and encouraging best practice.
13) The UK Government intends on strengthening consumer protection for air passengers such as additional enforcement powers for CAA, our proposals are set out in the aviation consumer consultation.
14) The CAA has written to airports to set out their plans for additional measures to improve provision of assistance to disabled and less mobile passengers and support the sector by providing guidance.
15) The UK Government has changed the law so industry has more flexibility to train staff and allow them to deploy staff quickly and flexibly while maintaining security standards.
16) The UK Government is launching a Generation Aviation campaign, working with industry to promote awareness of aviation careers and increase the number of people applying for jobs in the sector.
17) The UK Government is working with the CAA to launch a £700,000 skills funding competition this autumn to support outreach across the sector and raise awareness of aviation careers to young people.
18) The UK Government has launched the Aviation Skills Recruitment Platform to support skills retention and recruitment in the sector.
19) The UK Government is building partnerships with colleges and universities to ensure students are attracted to and prepared for a career in aviation – and to support this we have launched the Talentview Aviation platform to connect students to aviation sector employers.
20) The UK Government is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to promote aviation roles and recruitment via job centres and training for jobs coaches.
21) The UK Government is delivering its Reach for the Sky outreach programme, supported by its Aviation Ambassadors to promote diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the sector.
22) The UK Government has introduced the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) to support commercial airports and ground operators with fixed costs, through £161 million in grants.
Commenting on the publication of the 22-point plan, Airport Operators Association Chief Executive Karen Dee said: “Airports are working hard to prepare for this: recruitment campaigns for security staff are ongoing and progressing well, with more staff being deployed as they finish their training and security vetting. They are also working closely with airlines, the companies managing check-in and baggage on behalf of airlines as well as the government and Civil Aviation Authority to alleviate any delays where they do occur and to support others in the industry who are coping with staff shortages.”