Hell at Heathrow (From Ealing Times)

Hell at Heathrow

1:40pm Thursday 26th August 2004 in

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THOUSANDS of passengers were left stranded at Heathrow airport this week as 48 British Airways flights were cancelled.

Hundreds more suffered the knock on effects of cramped conditions and frayed tempers in Terminal 1 for the better part of Monday afternoon, Tuesday and yesterday morning.

Rain and poor visibility led to delays in takeoffs on Monday and the queues of waiting passengers were then exacerbated by a steady increase in cancellations as staffing levels at check-in desks, ticket booths and even in the planes' cabins plummeted.

High turnovers in staff and newly improved security checks are said to be to blame for the low staffing levels, as a BA spokesperson explained: "The airline is currently understaffed. We would ideally be operating with 180 staff per shift but currently have about 160.

"We are trying to recruit another 150 staff to take us closer to the optimum 2,000 workers in total, but these days there are criminal record checks and the whole process takes a bit longer. Volunteers have been standing in for absent colleagues and have helped rebook passengers onto other flights."

This procedure was made slightly easier by the fact that most of the cancelled flights were short haul, either domestic flights or to Europe, and the passengers could be displaced on to other airlines.

In total 25 return flights were cancelled on Monday. By Tuesday lunch time a further 15 return flights had been cancelled, although BA staff claimed the situation had almost returned to normal in the afternoon.

But yesterday a further eight flights were cancelled in what was called a tactical' move to tacke staff shortages.

However, with an average 100 people on each flight the delays and cancellations meant that more than 4,000 passengers had their travel plans disrupted, many having to wait in the airport overnight. The BA spokesperson added: "Where we could, we gave them hotel accommodation, or water, food vouchers and blankets for those who had to stay in the terminal."

BA's director of operations, Mike Street, said operations were running smoothly again adding: "But that's no consolation to the people we inconvenienced. It was miserable time for them, we them down and on behalf of BA we're all extremely sorry."

Fears that more delays could arise this weekend due to possible strike action have been quelled following a resolution in pay talks last week. The airline agreed an 8.5 per cent pay increase over three years, as well as £1,000 in three payments to September 2006, during the talks with the union representing baggage handlers and check-in staff.

by SALLY HENFIELD