Summer of travel misery looms and agents inundated with calls

National headlines continue to focus on the disruption to flights in recent days, with Heathrow’s boss warning it could take up to 18 months to get operations back up to pre-pandemic levels.

Agents have also been swamped with calls from customers worried that their holidays may be disrupted this summer. On a brighter note, Japan is set to reopen to tourists for the first time in two years.

Here are the headlines the travel industry woke up to on Wednesday (8 June).

Summer of misery looms as airports face staff squeeze

Heathrow’s chief executive has warned it could take up to 18 months for the aviation industry to rehire enough staff to return operations to pre-Covid levels. John Holland-Kaye said airlines and airports needed to “plan much better” to avoid further cancellations and delays this summer. (Financial Times)

Rail workers to bring British network to a halt

Three days of national rail strikes have been called by the RMT union in a long-running dispute over wages and jobs. An estimated 40,000 RMT members will walk out on 21, 23 and 25 June which is being billed as the country’s largest rail strike for 30 years and is set to cripple the UK’s train network. (Various)

Travel agents inundated with calls over summer holiday fears

Agents are receiving more calls from anxious customers worried their summer holidays could be disrupted as flight chaos continues following the half-term Jubilee break. Thousands more airline passengers saw their travel plans thrown into disarray on Tuesday (7 June) as the sector struggles to cope with staff shortages. (The Independent)

Cut taxes if you want to survive, PM urged

Boris Johnson is being put under pressure from his cabinet to cut taxes this year in a bid to save his leadership after he won a vote of confidence by Conservative MPs earlier this week. (The Times)

Family hits out after return flight from Corfu is axed

A family have criticised easyJet after they were told at 4am that their flight back to the UK had been cancelled. Jo Rowles said she received a text from the airline just hours before they were due to fly back from Corfu to Bristol. The family of four then had to take an alternative flight a day later which flew back to Gatwick instead of Bristol where they had parked their car. (The Daily Mail)

Japan to allow tourists for first time in two years

Japan will begin allowing international tourists to enter the country from Friday (10 June) as it becomes one of the last nations to lift Covid travel restrictions. Initially visitors can only enter if they are on a package tour and must be chaperoned throughout their stay in Japan. (Sky News)