the situation is becoming critical for British Airways

Like many others, the British company British Airways is struggling to keep up with the resumption of air traffic. For several months, it has already lightened its program and announces today the pure and simple cancellation of 10,300 additional flights by the end of October. With this calendar, we go far beyond the summer holidays, which proves the extent of the problem.

The announced deletions only concern short flights. British Airways ensures that it protects flights linked to holidays as much as possible: those which are canceled are on lines whose planes are less full. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, British Airways offered 850 daily flights but, between an already thin flight program and new cancellations announced for three days, the company has reduced its flight program for the summer by 10 to 15%.

In question, always: air traffic resumes but the staff is missing and all the international companies are faced with the same situation. Since the lifting of health restrictions in many countries, particularly in the United Kingdom, carriers are facing difficulties in meeting a rapidly increasing demand. The biggest problem is recruiting the missing personnel. At the height of the pandemic, airlines and airports had laid off thousands of people. In the case of British Airways, 10,000 jobs have been lost. This is felt today at the end of the chain. Add to that the strikes of flight personnel demanding wage increases: the walkouts planned throughout the summer will not help the situation.

One of the most threatened today is SAS. The Scandinavian airline is in serious financial difficulties and, too, is facing a strike by its main pilots’ union. An unlimited walkout this time. SAS, which employs 7,000 people, has just placed itself under the bankruptcy regime in the United States.