The British national air carrier British Airways has canceled more than 10,000 flights from its winter schedule, removing almost two million seats from the sale. The cancellation of short-haul flights, which were supposed to fly from the end of October to the end of March, is aimed at minimizing disruptions in the winter message, according to observers. In an unprecedented move, British Airways announced earlier this month that it was temporarily suspending the sale of new tickets for short-haul flights from Heathrow, the BTA said.
The airline is also canceling long-haul flights to China and Bangkok, citing covid restrictions. A representative of the company said that the resumption of flights to Hong Kong will be delayed until December when there will be one flight per day. He emphasized that the airline strives to introduce sustainable development into its schedule. Since the beginning of summer, they have canceled 38,000 flights. Winter cancellations account for almost a tenth of scheduled flights.
The decision was the result of upheaval in the airline industry, the Times reported. European airlines are experiencing record delays in European airspace due to staff shortages, high numbers of sick leave, and congestion caused by the closure of airspace over Ukraine and Russia.
Problems at Britain’s biggest and busiest airport have forced budget airline Ryanair to add more than 500 flights to those it operates from London’s smaller Stansted airport this summer, according to Sky News.