British low-cost airline easyJet cancelled more than 222 flights over the weekend, following a staff shortage due to Covid-19, leaving some passengers stranded amid travel chaos at some of Britain’s biggest airports.
The company has mobilised additional staff, but nevertheless expects to have to cut dozens of flights again on Monday.
“As a result of the current high rates of Covid infections across Europe, like all businesses easyJet is experiencing higher than usual levels of employee sickness,” said a spokesperson for the company.
“We have made 62 pre-emptive cancellations for flights to and from the UK for Monday which represents a small proportion of Monday’s total flying programme which was planned to be more than 1,645 flights. We cancelled the majority of these on Saturday.”
These cancellations caught travellers off guard as the Easter holidays begin. Some holidaymakers reported being stuck abroad with no explanation or alternative route home offered by the airline.