"The entire aviation industry continues to face significant challenges", justified British Airways in a statement sent to AFP, saying it wanted to give its customers more "certainty" with a less ambitious flight program , after having already announced the day before hundreds of cancellations this summer.
The company explains that it is taking advantage of the temporary relaxation of the rules governing take-off and landing slots, announced at the end of June by the British government to allow companies to adapt their flight schedules this summer without losing their rights for the following season.
Between an already slimmed down flight program and the new cancellations announced for two days, British Airways, which operated some 850 flights daily before the Covid-19 pandemic, has reduced its flight program for the summer season by a total of 13%.
The deletions announced on Wednesday only affect short flights, between the beginning of August and the end of October.
The company assured "to protect holiday flights as much as possible" and indicated that the canceled flights are on lines where the planes are less full.
British Airways says it is in contact with affected customers to apologize and offer them alternative flights, including other airlines, or a full refund.
Since the lifting of health restrictions in many countries, particularly in the United Kingdom, at the start of the year, carriers have faced difficulties in meeting a sharp increase in demand, mainly because of difficulties in recruiting.
Airlines and airports had laid off thousands of people at the height of the pandemic.
British Airways had cut some 10,000 jobs.
UK airports have seen weeks of chaos recently, particularly over the spring long weekends, with long queues and hundreds of canceled flights.
British Airways ground staff at Britain's Heathrow airport have also recently voted in favor of a pay strike, scheduled for the summer holidays.
The British government recently announced measures to support the sector, including plans to speed up security checks carried out by the authorities before hiring staff at airlines or airports.
© 2022 AFP