Airline passengers face the prospect of years of disruption

Airline passengers face the prospect of delayed and canceled flights for years to come as staffing challenges continue to plague the industry, according to a survey. 

About 55% of the 150 senior airline and airport executives surveyed by the travel software company Amadeus expect disruption to remain elevated in the coming years, while just 37% see a return to pre-Covid levels, the survey said. 

Staff turnover was exacerbated by the massive job cuts during the pandemic, which led to a shortage of experienced workers as travel sharply rebounded. Over the summer peak season in 2022 and 2023, airlines were forced to trim back schedules, while airports limited flights to cope with the surge in demand. 

“We lost the expertise, the people who knew exactly what to do because they’ve seen that scenario before,” said Guy Kavanagh, head of flight operations at Amadeus. “The demand is back but the capabilities aren’t there so we see disruption increasing and that’s likely to continue.”

The shortages are seen throughout the aviation ecosystem, from ground handling services to flight crews. Post-pandemic staff turnover is much higher and the industry is less attractive to young workers starting their careers, according to Christos Pantazis, ground operations director at Goldair Handling. 

Flights across Germany’s major hubs were disrupted for a day last week, after security staff walked out over pay and working conditions. Ground staff at Deutsche Lufthansa AG are set to strike this Wednesday over similar demands.

Airlines face expensive bills for disrupted services. Passengers whose flights start or end in the European Union are entitled to compensation of between €250 to €600 in the event of delays, cancellation or denied boarding, under the so-called EU261 rules. 

Scandinavian carrier SAS AB estimates disruption is responsible for 8-10% for its costs, according to Michael Lindborg, the carrier’s vice president for airline solutions. 

“If we want to minimize customer disruption, we can, but that solution may result in a significant cost increase or poor utilization of the fleet,” he said. “We need to be able to quickly understand the full implication of new plans in terms of delay, cost and compensation.”