UK's Transport Secretary Grant Shapps held (01-Jun-2022) a meeting with leaders from airports, airlines and ground handling companies regarding the recent "exceptional disruption seen across UK airports" due to COVID-19 affected staff shortages. Mr Shapps highlighted:
- The UK Government is taking steps to boost consumer rights, including recently consulting on using Brexit freedoms to enhance consumer protections, and committing to publish an aviation passenger charter to ensure consumers can access information about their rights in one place;
- New protections include enhancing the UK Civil Aviation Authority's powers to enforce aviation consumer protection laws;
- The government and aviation industry will form a working group ahead of the 2022 summer holidays to work through issues of shared concern.
Mr Shapps stated: "I also understand the resourcing strains on the aviation sector but it does not excuse poor planning and overbooking flights that they cannot service... Run services properly and according to schedule or provide swift, appropriate compensation. We do not want to see a repeat of this over the summer - the first post COVID-19 summer season - and will be meeting again in the coming weeks to understand the progress that is being made". [more - original PR]