TORY ministers have been told they “couldn’t run a sweet shop” as angry airline bosses blame travel chaos on Brexit.
Delays and cancellations have become the norm at UK airports this summer, with airlines announcing further cuts to flights this week.
Industry chiefs say a lack of EU workers is the reason for much of the chaos. Yet the UK Government has rejected those claims and dismissed calls for European workers to be granted visa-free access to the UK to help alleviate staff shortages.
Downing Street’s “Brexit obsession” has been blamed by the SNP as Scots are warned they will be disproportionately affected by flight cancellations.
Heathrow has asked airlines to cut 10% of flights at two terminals on Monday, with knock-on effects for other airports, while easyJet started cancelling thousands of summer flights.
EasyJet boss John Lundgren says his company has turned down 8000 job applications because candidates have been denied permission to work in the UK following Brexit.
Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy made his feelings known during a meeting with UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
In a statement to Metro.co.uk, a Jet2 and Jet2holidays spokesperson said: “During a meeting with government and industry on Friday, Mr Heapy expressed his frustrations with the current employment market – as Brexit has taken hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people out of the job market and that is having an impact on many industries, including ours.”
Meanwhile, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary warned turmoil at airports will continue “right throughout the summer” due to staff shortages.
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He cited “government mismanagement” and a sluggish recovery from Covid for turmoil at airports, as well as Brexit.
“This problem will not be resolved until we start allowing European workers to come in and do the jobs that, frankly, UK people no longer wish to do,” the airline boss told Sky News.
"If we can't attract people to do those jobs like baggage handling, like security at the airport, we're going to have to bring in workers, whether its from Ireland or from continental Europe to do them.
"And Brexit is one of the big bug bears in the system – it has introduced enormous labour market inflexibility in the UK."
O’Leary dismissed comments that the Government had been especially generous to the industry during the pandemic.
He replied: "That's the Government's response to everything – this government couldn't run a sweet shop.
“The problem here is not one of the airlines' making. We've been locked up for two years, [the Government] introduced a bogus traffic light system that never made any sense and never worked during Covid.
"Just as we were emerging out of Covid, the Omicron variant saw us locked down again over Christmas and as we emerged after Christmas we were beginning to recruit again and Russia invades Ukraine.
"And the Government says the problem is the airlines."
Last week, UK aviation minister Robert Courts told MPs on the business select committee that Brexit “has little if anything to do with” staff shortages in the sector.
Responding to the criticism from airline bosses, SNP MSP Jackie Dunbar said: “Every week we are seeing how the Tories and their disastrous Brexit obsession is costing Scotland dearly and every day spent under Westminster control means we will suffer further disastrous consequences.
“Now it is holidaymakers and those looking to visit family and friends who are faced with travel disruption and cancelled flights as airlines and airports are unable to employ the workforce they once had as a result of Brexit.
“When travelling abroad we all want things to go smoothly but the Tories have created incredible uncertainty for thousands of travellers with Brexit – which the people of Scotland did not vote for but we had imposed on us against our will."
She added: “The only way we can avoid this chaos is by re-joining the European Union and the only route back there for Scotland is with independence.”
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