Wednesday 1 June 2022 12:34 AM Pilot calls POLICE to help passengers flee Tui jet after being 'abandoned' for ... trends now

A pilot was forced to call the police to help hundreds of passengers disembark an 'abandoned' plane after they were left sat on the runway for three hours due to staff shortages.

Holidaymakers were left onboard the aircraft at Manchester Airport on Monday evening, with the TUI flight due to take-off for Tenerife, before officers were called in.

Families had already been delayed by a few hours in boarding the plane, which was due to depart at 5.50pm, eventually getting into the craft at 7pm.

Ground crew took so long to load luggage that the flight was cancelled, before 'abandoning' them on the tarmac. 

Passengers were then stuck waiting side the hot plane for three hours before being helped off the aircraft by police by 10pm.

Adam Wyczalkowski, 22, was due to fly to the Spanish island with friends for a four-night trip.

He said that people onboard were becoming 'frustrated and angry' with the situation.

'There was not a single member of staff in sight, so the captain informed us they will be calling the police in order to let us disembark,' he told the Manchester Evening News.

'It is so hot and there is no air con on and we were only offered a complimentary drink.'

In a video filmed on board, the pilot can be heard telling passengers 'Swissport have abandoned us'. 

Mr Wyczalkowski said that passengers were told their bags were being loaded on to the plane by Swissport's ground crew — before being told that only half had been stowed.

'We were then told all the staff had then disappeared, and the captain told us all that due to crew hour regulations, the flight might get cancelled in the end,' he told the news site.

TUI confirmed that 'operational issues' had delayed the flight, and said that all customers were given a new departure time yesterday, as well as an overnight stay in a hotel.

A spokesperson for the company said: 'We'd like to apologise to customers travelling on flight TOM2106 from Manchester to Tenerife on Monday 30 May which was unfortunately delayed due to operational issues. 

'We were in contact with affected customers, offered overnight accommodation and meals where needed, and advised them of their new departure time as soon as we could. This flight is now due to depart this evening.

'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. 

'We'd like to apologise again for the inconvenience caused and we thank customers for their understanding and patience during this time.'

A spokesperson for Swissport apologised for the company's 'part in any delays', explaining that flight demand is 'exacerbating resource challenges' in the aviation industry.

'While the return in flight volumes after the serious impact of the pandemic is undoubtedly a positive development, it is also exacerbating resource challenges across the aviation industry, including at Swissport, especially at a busy period of holiday travel,' they said.

'We are very sorry for our part in any delays and disruption passengers have experienced.

'We're doing everything we can to address our role in meeting our resource challenges, welcoming over 2,000 new colleagues since the start of the year, and we continue to work with our partners to identify contingency measures and improve baggage and aircraft turnaround times.'

This afternoon, Manchester Airport said that bosses are having 'extensive discussions' with both TUI and Swissport, which are both 'experiencing temporary staffing shortages'.

It comes as Brits are facing a summer of airport chaos amid chronic staffing shortages and IT glitches.

Shocking scenes from around the country in recent weeks have shown holidaymakers stuck in huge queues with some forced to sleep on the floor of airports amid long delays. 

Industry chiefs have pointed the finger at mass layoffs during the pandemic which saw staff let go because of the collapse in demand for travel during the various lockdowns.

Airlines are now struggling to rehire workers previously let go, leading to a shortage of security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff.

Industry sources say staffing levels are around 80 to 90 per cent of where they need to be for the peak summer season at larger airports and about 70 per cent at smaller ones.

Some workers have also decided to quit the industry and not return following the pandemic, it has been suggested. 

Another issue has been the vetting of new staff, with background checks taking several weeks. 

Unions and aviation chiefs say the security check backlog could be approaching 20,000 applications. 

Meanwhile, the UK is facing a labour shortage, with more vacancies than workers available to fill them. This has led to suggestions that potential airport staff recruits are unwilling to accept lower wages and more demanding roles.

Meanwhile, Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, called for an investigation into claims airlines are selling more tickets than they can service.

Rory Boland, the travel editor of consumer group Which? said that the government must intervene to make sure airlines stop selling flights 'they can't actually provide'.

He told The Times: 'We're already seeing very long queues, widespread chaos at airports, huge stress for people planning to get away, and we haven't hit the peak yet.

'Airports and airlines have known this recovery was coming for a period of time now. We're continuing to see things get worse, not better.'

But airport bosses says queues have been exacerbated by passengers turning up earlier than normal from the early hours.

Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, previously said that Covid travel restrictions led to a 'destruction of talent through job losses'.

Kully Sandhu, managing director of Aviation Recruitment Network, said: 'In my opinion, it could be up to 12 months before we see staffing at airports back to pre-pandemic levels. Recruitment for people at airports takes longer than roles elsewhere because of necessary, additional security and background checks.

'Routine recruitment campaigns ground to halt during the pandemic and have been slow to start again as international travel has had a number of restrictions on it until recently. That means the recruitment pipeline was cut off and needs to be re-established.

'Aviation has lost its appeal, not only for returners but also for people who have never worked in an airport environment before.'

Airlines are now asking travellers to arrive earlier for their flights - contributing to the long queues seen at airports. 

Meanwhile, some experts have discussed the long delays in vetting new recruits, adding to the chaos. 

The Unite union said there are 'chronic staff shortages across the board', and that 'current pay and conditions in the industry are so poor that workers are voting with their feet', adding: 'It can only be resolved by offering higher wages and better working conditions for staff.'

Union officials added that many airport staff are being asked to work extra hours, and 'relying on staff overtime to run the business can't be a long-term solution'.

Experts said that airlines 'are simply unable to cope with that demand due to a lack of resources' and warned that the 'nightmare' disruption could last all year.

BA has axed hundreds of flights up on some routes to the US and the Far East until September, affecting thousands of travellers after it had already cancelled more than 1,000 flights in little more than three weeks.

Industry experts have also pointed the finger at security checks for issues with staff numbers, with vetting for new staff taking up to twice as long as the 14 weeks it is supposed to. They also believe that loss of thousands of experienced staff who were laid off during the pandemic has had an impact, with many not returning after finding jobs elsewhere. 

Mother is stranded at Gatwick for 22 HOURS with her five-year-old son after being kicked off overbooked plane - as thousands of holidays are cancelled 

A mother has claimed she was left stranded at Gatwick airport for 22 hours after being kicked off a plane because it was too full.

Charlie Day, 33, from Chelmsford, Essex, was marched through security three times due to the repeated cancellations and said at one point passengers were stuck in a waiting room without food, water or toilet access due to the airport chaos.

She had arrived on Friday morning with her husband Lewis and five-year-old son Ernie ahead of their 2.30pm flight to Barcelona.

When checking in, Charlie noticed her family's boarding passes were missing a seat number but was told by a member of staff that airlines had recently stopped including that information.

Despite the well-travelled mum-of-one questioning the apparent boarding pass change, she made her way through security, only later to discover the flight had been overbooked by 34 seats when queuing up to board.

The family were forced to march through security to then check-in again for a 9.45pm flight later that evening. Having waited seven hours for the rescheduled flights, the gate didn't open until midnight.

Dozens of passengers were left waiting without food, water and access to a toilet for the next 90 minutes, only to be sent an email at 1.30am telling them the flight had been cancelled.

Charlie, who runs her own business Charlie Day Sales, claims there was no representative from Spanish airline Vueling to ease anxieties around the flight.

She then paid £30 for an Uber to get to a £140 Premier Inn room, so her son could get three hours sleep, while Lewis waited an hour to collect their baggage.

The flight was rescheduled again for 9am, only for the gate to be changed 13 minutes before departure – on the other side of the terminal.

Having eventually boarded after a 22-hour wait, there was then a 45-minute delay on the runway before passengers could jet off to Spain.

'I would just urge others not to book with the airline – they have been outrageous,' Charlie said.

'The conditions were just inhumane especially when travelling with a five-year-old. When we first arrived, we had left plenty of time and there was a bit of queueing but nothing too crazy.

'But when flights started getting cancelled it became jam packed. Everything was delayed. People were just flocking to Wetherspoons and there were dirty plates and glasses pilled everywhere.

'There was a 40-minute wait for Wagamama. It was just really hectic. When we were waiting for the second flight people were becoming really irate.

'Some had been in Wetherspoons for hours to pass the time so were a bit restless. We were told we couldn't leave the room you wait in while waiting to board.

'There was no access to food, water or even a toilet. And everyone had been waiting around for so long.

'At no point did a Vueling representative come out to apologise or even to hand out water. There were babies, toddlers and pensioners waiting to board.

'When the email came through to say it was cancelled, we were just so knackered. I had to phone around 12 hotels before we eventually found somewhere to stay for the night.

'But there were people there who couldn't find anywhere and had to sleep on the floor for the night.

'When we went to get the flight the third time, the gate was changed 13 minutes before departure on the other side of the terminal.

'People just didn't believe anything the airline was telling them so there was just a stampede to the other gate.'

Charlie, Lewis and Ernie eventually arrived in Barcelona at 3pm on Saturday, before boarding their week-long Royal Carribean cruise around the Mediterranean.

Although they have been rewarded £523 each in compensation, she says the cost of getting food at the 22-hour airport stay, missed wages from the two days off work along with a missed stay at the hotel in Barcelona has caused distress.

Charlie added: 'We missed out on a whole day exploring in Barcelona. And we were running on just three hours sleep.

'I just can't believe how Vueling just didn't offer anything in terms of customer care.'

A spokesman for Vueling said: 'On Friday there were several operational issues which impacted the scheduling of our outgoing flights.

'This affected our operations over the weekend. We always strive to offer a timely service, however, if this isn’t possible our priority is to organise the best alternatives for our customers.

'Our team at Gatwick worked diligently to resolve these issues and our customer service team is in touch with those affected by the delays.'

Gatwick airport have been approached for comment.

Meanwhile, at Manchester Airport a co-pilot, called Simon, loaded luggage on to a 32-hour delayed flight on Monday.

Jenny Cook, from Warrington, Cheshire, who was on the Tui flight to Crete, told the BBC: 'He said "even my co-pilot is loading bags" so we looked out of the window and there he was.

'The next thing we knew we were taxing to the runway. We were all cheering. Simon had gone above and beyond.

'As a HR director, employee recognition is key, after all the negative press Tui has had recently and the journey we had been on, we were all taken aback on what Simon had done. I think Tui need to do something to recognise Simon.'

It comes as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps demanded a meeting with aviation bosses to find out 'what's gone wrong' as travel chaos worsens across the country. 

Airlines continued to axe flights on Tuesday with passengers forced to wait for hours at airports including Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol. 

Heathrow passengers trying to board their flights claimed they had 'never' seen queues as long as those on Tuesday morning. 

Passengers have been hit by disruption for several months, with the situation worsening this week due to the rise in demand sparked by the half-term school holiday and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period. 

The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after laying thousands of people off during the coronavirus pandemic and is struggling to recruit more. 

Airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government restrictions suppressed demand. 

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Mr Shapps said the Government had 'done its part', adding that airlines and ground handlers need to ensure there is no more disruption. 

Mr Shapps referred to the £8 billion given to the aviation industry during the pandemic as well as legislation he introduced last month which allows new aviation recruits to begin training before passing security checks. 

He said: 'It's been very distressing to see passengers facing yet more disruption at airports - having well-earned holidays cancelled and plans left in disarray. 

'We've been clear that industry leaders need to tackle the issues we saw at Easter head-on. Although some steps have been taken, we are still not seeing the progress we need to.'

He said the Government 'will be meeting with airports, airlines and ground handlers again to find out what's gone wrong and how they are planning to end the current run of cancellations and delays'. 

He added that operators 'seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver' despite Government warnings. 

'Government has done its part,' he said. 'It is now on airports, airlines and ground handlers to make sure everyone's well-deserved holidays can go ahead free from the major disruption we've seen in recent days.'

Rishi Sunak yesterday reminded Britain's creaking airlines and airports they took billions from the taxpayer during the pandemic and easing half term disruption must be their focus as experts told MailOnline that the crisis will only get worse through the Platinum Jubilee weekend and will peak on Monday. 

MPs have urged the aviation industry to 'get a grip now' as airlines face an investigation into claims they sold flights and holidays for the half term week without the air crew and check-in staff to cope with tens of thousands hit with delays or cancellations.

Mr Sunak has insisted the Government is working with the airlines and airports to reduce disruption and delays - amid a furious blame game between ministers and industry leaders as holidaymakers complained about being left 'abandoned' with some flights cancelled minutes before their expected departure.

'We put in place billions of pounds of support for the travel industry in particular during the pandemic,' the Chancellor said, adding: 'Right now there are conversations happening between the industry and ministers to make sure disruption can be eased. That is where the focus is right now'.

With 6,000 flights to and from Britain scheduled over the weekend, peaking at just under 7,000 on Monday, the problems are predicted to be even more dire - coupled with a two-day Tube strike on June 6 and June 7 that will cripple London's Underground network as people return home and to work.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told MailOnline: 'It's for travel firms themselves to get themselves in order. Sadly, I think it will get worse because were reaching its peak in a few days. Monday is scheduled to be the busiest day since 2019, with 2,864 departures from the UK, and the same number of inbound flights - it will be the busiest day since before the pandemic.' 

This afternoon TUI took the decision to cut 43 flights a week - 186 in total through June carrying 37,000 passengers from Manchester - just hours after an extraordinary video emerged revealing two police officers were drafted in to tell their irate customers their holiday to Kos was now cancelled as they queued to board the plane.

The airline, which decided to cut 8,000 jobs during the pandemic and furloughed 11,000 of its staff, said in a statement: 'We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight disruption in recent days and understand that they have been looking forward to these holidays for a long time.

'The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different. Unfortunately, due to ongoing challenges in our operation, we have had to announce a small number of planned cancellations between now and 30 June from Manchester Airport only.

'We are directly contacting all impacted customers in departure date order and they will automatically receive a full refund'.

For the past four days millions of Britons have suffered long queues at airport check-in and some even brought pillows and duvets knowing they would be forced to sleep on terminal floors. Others passed out on baggage carousels while waiting hours for their suitcases, some of which never arrived and are still missing more than 100 hours later due to a lack of ground staff.

Those caught up in the carnage have described shops selling out of food and water and people being too frightened to go to the toilet in case they lose their place in the queues snaking around terminals at Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick and Heathrow in conditions described as 'hell'.

And many arrived at the airport or even at the gate to learn their flight had been delayed for hours or cancelled completely. Some dumped their suitcases in lockers at check-in and ran for security with hand luggage to avoid missing their flights.

The delays also spread to Eurostar at London St Pancras yesterday where queues for check-in and security stretched for close to half a mile.

Tens of thousands of Britons fear their plans to jet abroad for the long weekend could now be in jeopardy after hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled, in some cases just as they were about to board.

And a furious blame game has erupted as ministers blamed airlines and airports for the mayhem - while unions and aviation chiefs insisted the Government 'hasn't prepared' for the rise in demand for travel and has failed to clear a backlog of security checks for new workers, which insiders claim could be approaching 20,000 applications.

Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, told the Evening Standard: 'They [the aviation industry] need to get a grip and now. They risk harming their industry's reputation for years to come as well as destroying the holiday plans of thousands of Britons.' He also called for an investigation into claims airlines are selling more tickets than they can service.

Transport minister Andrew Stephenson said yesterday: 'It is for the airports to plan and recruit enough people in order to deal with the significant increases in people flying which we have been expecting for some time'.

But Labour MP Rupa Haq, vice chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation, said: 'They [ministers] need to get a grip and face up to the fact that their botched Brexit has caused unprecedented vacancies in the aviation sector'.

There has been chaos, confusion and cancellations at the majority of the UK's airports over the past four days as families try to get away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from Britain due each day peaking next Monday. There have also been long delays at Dover for drivers heading to France and delays at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent.