an estimated 5,000 passengers. and on the eve of the peak holiday months ofjuly and august, staff shortage is leading to many more cancellations, with the threat of industrial action threatened on several airlines, and a new report demanding a better deal for travellers. simon calder, travel correspondent of the independent, is at heathrow. given the amount of disruption there has been to air travel in recent weeks, i am wondering whether we should be surprised by this news from heathrow this morning? it is should be surprised by this news from heathrow this morning? it its a from heathrow this morning? it is a really interesting from heathrow this morning? it is a really interesting turn from heathrow this morning? it is a really interesting turn of from heathrow this morning? it is a really interesting turn of events, . really interesting turn of events, not least because it is normally friday that is their busy day at heathrow. so when last night we learned that 35 to going to
simon calder, travel correspondent of the independent, is at gatwick airport for us. great to have you with us but not great if you are caught up in these cancelled flights, but is this actually a sensible move because people will have some degree of certainty now? certainty now? that is exactly riuht. certainty now? that is exactly riht. it certainty now? that is exactly right- it is certainty now? that is exactly right. it is what certainty now? that is exactly right. it is what the certainty now? that is exactly l right. it is what the government actually ordered earlier this week, the department for transport, the civil aviation authority, wrote to the airports and airlines and said we ve seen some horrible scenes of last minute cancellations and we want to de risk the summer, and you de risk the summer by doing exactly what gatwick airport has announced this morning. they are telling all of their airlines, this morning. they are telling all of theirairlines, right, this mor
meanwhile, p&0 ferries from dover still aren t running after the company sacked 800 seafarers. this weekend, people are being told to plan ahead, so long awaited trips don t become travel nightmares. katy austin, bbc news. we rejoined now from heathrow by simon calder, travel correspondent for the independent. good morning. we can break it down through air travel first. what is the picture from heathrow and other airports? iiii the picture from heathrow and other airorts? , ., , the picture from heathrow and other airorts? ,, , ., airports? if your flight is going from heathrow, airports? if your flight is going from heathrow, it airports? if your flight is going from heathrow, it is airports? if your flight is going from heathrow, it is fairly i airports? if your flight is going i from heathrow, it is fairly calm, but that is partly because british airways, whose main hub isjust behind me, has cancelled 52 flights so far today. that is slightly more than they did yesterday. short
we re joined now by simon calder, who is travel correspondent for the independent. good morning to you. you look at what has happened and it beggars belief. how is p&o going to be able to get away with this? belief. how is p80 going to be able to get away with this? to get away with this? well, it is absolutely to get away with this? well, it is absolutely dickensian to get away with this? well, it is absolutely dickensian in - to get away with this? well, it is absolutely dickensian in terms i to get away with this? well, it is| absolutely dickensian in terms of industrial relations. i think what has probably happened here is that dp world, the dubai based company which owns p80, somebody in an office there has looked at the numbers and just said, well, this isn t any good, impose a solution that will work for us. and they somehow come up with this idea that you tell all the ships to tie up in dover, in hull, in liverpool, in line, then you move all the workers often say, sorry,
overnight, as you know. the man. the clock has moved forward overnight, as you know. so the man. the clock has moved forward overnight, as you know. so it - the man. the clock has moved forward overnight, as you know. so it is i the man. the clock has moved forward overnight, as you know. so it is now. overnight, as you know. so it is now 7:11a.m., not overnight, as you know. so it is now 7:11 a.m., not 6:11am. that means that our lines and operating their summer schedules. the independent s travel correspondent simon calderjoins now from gatwick airport, which has reopened a terminal to handle increased demand. simon, that must be a good sign. but do you think gatwick is ready? well, it does seem to be, yes. they have put a great deal of work into this, just to show you how things are changing. yesterday there were about 300 flights to and from gatwick, today nearly double that. 570. south terminal here, which has been mothballed for pretty much the last two years, has reopened. i