SNOW UPDATE: ABTA wants inquiry into chaotic weather planning at Heathrow
Monday, 22 Dec, 2010
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ABTA has slammed Heathrow operator BAA for its inability to cope with the severe weather and says it is backing an inquiry into the debacle.
The news comes a day after the prime minister also voiced his disapproval at the way the airport has dealt with the freezing weather.
A clearly annoyed David Cameron told a press conference yesterday that he felt frustrated for the UK’s many travellers whose plans had been thwarted this Christmas.
ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “The disruption caused by the weather appears to have been made worse by a lack of preparedness and information for customers. The test of any system is how resilient it is under stressed conditions. Heathrow seems to have failed spectacularly.
“Christmas is a peak season for travel, and scenes of thousands of stranded passengers, whose holiday plans are in disarray, have sent alarm signals to the travelling public, and seriously dented consumer confidence.
“The confused situation at Heathrow has placed an additional burden and costs on ABTA members as they try to rebook their customers on scarce flights.”
He added: “The welfare of the travelling public is ABTA’s primary concern, and the association has called for a full review of the structural and regulatory framework that supports the travelling public when en route and overseas.”
Heathrow is today operating a reduced flight schedule as thousands of crew and dozens of aircraft reposition themselves across Europe.
The airport is still urging passengers to check its website www.heathrow.com for a full list of the flights that airlines have informed the airport they will be flying.
If a flight is not listed, passengers should not travel to the airport. If it is, travellers should still confirm with a telephone call.
The airport warns: “More cold weather is forecast and there may be further delays and cancellations. We are now working with airlines to return to a normal schedule as quickly as possible and we will continue to provide updates on our website, via Twitter, our iPhone /Android mobile apps and our flight text service.
“We are truly sorry for the disruption the weather is causing to our passengers and we are doing everything we can to get them away on their journeys.”
BAA and its chief executive Colin Matthews met further disdain as it emerged that the operator had turned down an offer of help from transport secretary Philip Hammond to use troops to clear runway snow and ice.
The Daily Telegraph reports today that there are also calls for Matthews to forgo his six figure bonus. He was paid more than £1 million this year and is in line for a secret bonus, having helped BAA reach pre-tax profits of £972 million.
It quotes the former head of the CBI and trade minister under Labour Lord Jones of Birmingham as describing Heathrow as the “laughing stock” of Europe.
He added: “He [Mr Matthews] should not be getting a bonus when he has diminished Britain’s global brand.”
Less than a third of flights have operated at the airport since the big freeze but the CAA will impose no punishment as it admitted it was unable to fine an airport for not making adequate inclement weather planning.
Dinah
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