Heathrow Airport has has told airlines 'to stop selling summer tickets' as it struggles to cope with demand.
Ministers told carriers to review their plans after chaos in May, blamed on a shortage of airline and airport staff.
"Over the past few weeks, as departing passenger numbers have regularly exceeded 100,000 a day, we have started to see periods when service drops to a level that is not acceptable: long queue times, delays for passengers requiring assistance, bags not travelling with passengers or arriving late, low punctuality and last-minute cancellations," said Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye.
But Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association and a former head of British Airways , was sharply critical of Heathrow's move. He added: "Heathrow are trying to maximise the profitability that they get from the airport at the expense of airlines."The airport has been struggling to cope with a surge in passengers, following the removal of Covid-related travel restrictions.
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