We observed disruption at UK airports over the half-term Jubilee weekend, with some customers encountering long lineups and cancellations owing to personnel shortages at airports, airlines, and ground handlers. For far too many customers in recent years, these encounters have been unacceptably bad.
The Secretary of State for Transport and I have made it plain to the industry that it must run services that are for sale correctly and on time, or give prompt and reasonable compensation.
The aviation industry is entirely owned, controlled, and managed by private individuals. As a result, it is responsible for ensuring that it has enough workers to satisfy demand and run the flights that are available for purchase.
It is critical that the industry is a competitive and appealing market for employees. To satisfy demand, the government has urged the sector’s executives to offer better packages and establish a more resilient workforce.
Since early this year, the government has been working in a variety of sectors to assist the industry in resolving its problems. We are certain that customers should not be disadvantaged.
The government is working to strengthen consumer rights, including a recent consultation on how to use our Brexit powers to improve consumer safeguards. We’ve committed to producing an aircraft passenger charter so that customers may get all of their rights information in one spot.
We’ve looked for methods to reduce the burden of background checks performed by businesses.
On April 29, 2022, a statutory instrument was introduced to give additional flexibility, allowing ministers to decide whether or not to allow particular training to take place while background checks were being performed.
Ministers have also decided that, with safeguards in place, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) work history letters can be used as an appropriate form of reference check. These temporary reliefs have aided in the recruitment process.
The government has written to the industry, in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), outlining five particular expectations for the aviation sector this summer:
- 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 – compensated in good time.
- Disabled and less mobile passengers must be given assistance they require.
- Safety and security must never be compromised.
Robert Courts, MP, is chairing a Strategic Risk Group comprised of chief executive officers from the aviation industry, which will meet weekly over the summer.
This group will explore potential solutions to strengthen the industry’s resilience and will be used to keep the sector accountable for meeting its deadlines.
Ministers and top officials from the Department of Transportation will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure that customers are not harmed further.