EasyJet has confirmed the cancellation of 1,700 flights, affecting travel plans for passengers during the summer holiday season.
The cancellations, which apply to flights to and from Gatwick airport, can be attributed to constrained airspace over Europe and ongoing air traffic control difficulties that result in frequent flight disruptions.
The airline reported that approximately 95% of the affected passengers have been rebooked onto alternative flights, aiming to minimize the impact on their travel arrangements.
The announcement comes as many schools in England and Wales are preparing for summer break.
July is projected to witness the highest number of UK flight departures since October 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. The firm anticipates an 11% increase in flights departing from the UK compared to July of the previous year.
EasyJet clarified that the cancellations account for approximately one day’s worth of flights and that it will still operate around 90,000 journeys over the affected period, aiming to provide travel options for passengers during the busy summer travel season.
A spokesperson for EasyJet said the whole airline industry was seeing “challenging conditions this summer” as the closure of Ukrainian airspace due to Russia’s war caused congestion in the skies and disrupted flights.
They also said planned strikes by air traffic controllers in Europe could have an impact.
“We have therefore made some pre-emptive adjustments to our programme consolidating a small number of flights at Gatwick, where we have multiple daily frequencies, in order to help mitigate these external challenges on the day of travel for our customers,” the spokesperson said.
“Customers whose flights are affected are being informed, with 95% of customers being rebooked onto an alternative flight and all customers provided with the option to rebook or receive a refund.”