Post-COVID-19 staff shortages and unrest are blighting airports and airlines on both sides of the Atlantic, turning many European and American air journeys into a wearying ordeal. Nor is Australia immune.
| As Australian holidaymakers head to airports with fears of cancellations, delays and lost luggage hanging over them, Europe and the US offer an unsavoury foretaste of how bad things might get.
All across Europe, airports are cutting back on the number of flights they feel able to handle, which is forcing airlines to slice their schedules.Even Schiphol, the Amsterdam airport that is a byword for smooth efficiency, will this summer cut by 13,500 the number of passengers it can process. In the US, both American Airlines and United Airlines announced last week that they were going to end or reduce services to domestic cities, citing a lack of pilots and frequent delays.American Airlines’ regional carriers have had to lift pilot wages by more than 50 per cent due to the shortage. United Airlines’ pilots union has just approved a tentative deal for 14.5 per cent pay raise within 18 months.
A few days later, on a flight from Berlin, a jaded-sounded pilot told passengers that “it has just been one thing after another all day, mounting up”, as he explained a 60-minute delay.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Man loses USB with entire city's personal data after post-work drinksDrinks after work probably seemed like a good idea - but for one worker in Japan the hangover is likely to last for some time.
Read more »
Man loses USB with entire city's personal data after post-work drinksDrinks after work might have seemed like a good idea, but one Japanese worker is likely to feel this hangover for quite some time. 9News
Read more »
Aussie airport issue stark travel warning as school holidays approachSydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert says he won't 'sugar-coat' the fact terminals will be packed as more than 2.1 million passengers are forecast to pass through during the July school holiday period.
Read more »
Why our diplomats suffer from access anxiety and Thunderbird syndromeSeparate books by former US ambassador Joe Hockey and professional diplomat Ian Kemish provide a front-row seat to the chaos of representing Australia abroad.
Read more »