Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: "Thousands of people had their Easter holiday travel plans thrown into chaos and this latest wave of BA cancellations is a worrying sign that the summer season could be affected. The government must work with airlines and airports to ensure they have the resources and capacity to handle increased passenger numbers, as there can be no excuse for a repeat of these failings. "The fiasco of the past few weeks with cancellations of domestic and international flights shows why consumer travel protections must be strengthened, not weakened. The Department for Transport should shelve its plans to water down passengers' rights to compensation when their UK flight is delayed or cancelled, and give the Civil Aviation Authority fining powers so they can take swift action when airlines flout the rules."
ENDS
Notes to editors: - Passengers whose flight is cancelled less than two weeks before departure could be entitled to compensation. Airlines should also offer affected passengers a refund or reroute them as quickly as possible using other carriers if necessary, and provide refreshments and accommodation as required while they await their new flight. Which? consumer advice guide:
- Under Department for Transport proposals on passenger compensation, the penalty paid by airlines for severe delays or cancellations on UK flights would be reduced by tens of thousands of pounds per flight:
