LONDON (Agefi-Dow Jones)–Airline KLM said on Friday it would cut up to 2,000 flights this summer to ease congestion at its main airport, following in the footsteps of other European carriers slashing schedules flights for the summer period in a context of labor shortages affecting the entire sector.
The company owned by Air France-KLM explained on Friday that it would cancel between 10 and 20 return flights per day until August 28, representing around 1,000 trips over the next two months. KLM is also limiting ticket sales for seats still available on its European flights departing from Amsterdam, to free up space for customers who need rebookings due to cancellations.
Due to the ebb of the pandemic, airlines and airports around the world are experiencing a surge in demand leading to long waiting lines, increased baggage loss, flight delays and cancellations. The repercussions are particularly intense in Europe, where travel restrictions have delayed the resumption of international flights.
Among the most affected, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport had to take action last month to restrict the number of passengers passing through its terminals to limit queues at check-in, security and baggage, due to a shortage of security personnel.
KLM then declared that it did not expect to have to make many flight cancellations.
“Work pressure at the airport is currently very high as Schiphol and KLM are both experiencing labor shortages,” the group said in a statement on Friday.
British Airways announced on Wednesday the elimination of 10,300 additional flights until October in a bid to ease the pressure on airport staff in the United Kingdom. Deutsche Lufthansa and easyJet have taken similar steps.
KLM clarified that the majority of passengers affected by these new cancellations, on all European flights, will be checked in on another flight departing on the same day as their original flight.
-Benjamin Katz, The Wall Street Journal
(French version Emilie Palvadeau) ed: LBO
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July 08, 2022 09:04 ET (13:04 GMT)