Many travelers are disgruntled after European airline easyJet canceled over 1,700 flights.
The cancellations will impact 180,000 passengers who purchased easyJet flights between June and September, according to The Mirror. A spokesperson for the airline told The Mirror the cancellations are a result of the air controller strike in Europe.
“As Eurocontrol has stated, the whole industry is seeing challenging conditions this summer with more constrained air space due to the war in Ukraine resulting in unprecedented ATC delays, as well as further potential ATC strike action,” the spokesperson said.
Gatwick Airport in the UK is the travel hub experiencing the brute of the changes. On Saturday, July 8, easyJet grounded 40 flights in and out of Gatwick, preventing 6,000 travelers from reaching their destinations. Instead of canceling at the last minute, easyJet is alerting passengers ahead of time.
“We have therefore made some pre-emptive adjustments to our programme consolidating a small number of flights at Gatwick, where we have multiple daily frequencies, in order to help mitigate these external challenges on the day of travel for our customers and we continue to operate around over 90,000 flights over this period,” easyJet said.
Currently, 95% of easyJet customers impacted by the cancellations have been placed on alternate flights. Around 6,000 passengers are still without new accommodations. easyJet told The Mirror the war in Ukraine and Eurocontrol’s strike are causing issues for the airline despite being fully staffed.
“As Eurocontrol has stated, the whole industry is seeing challenging conditions this summer with more constrained air space due to the war in Ukraine resulting in unprecedented ATC delays, as well as further potential ATC strike action,” the company said.
Additionally, Americans are traveling to Europe more than ever before, according to Forbes. Popular travel app Hopper listed Europe as the destination of choice for American travelers. Destinations like London, Rome, and Paris are seeing record-breaking tourist numbers, leaving many travel agents with nothing to sell, according to The New York Times.
With the influx of foreign visitors coupled with travel limitations caused by the war and strike, industry insiders expect more than 12,600 flights to be delayed or canceled each day over the summer, according to The Telegraph.
“Customers whose flights are affected are being informed, with 95% of customers being rebooked onto an alternative flight and all customers provided with the option to rebook or receive a refund,” the airline said. “We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused.”
European aviation laws protect travelers from canceled flights. The law allows travelers to book flights on other airlines with open seats if their flight is canceled. easyJet would be responsible for the cost of the ticket.
