London Heathrow Airport will limit the number of passengers for the summer

Heathrow Airport said on Tuesday it would limit the number of passengers until mid-September, citing a staff shortage that has led to long queues, delays, baggage losses and last-minute flight cancellations.

In an open letter to travelersJohn Holland Kaye, chief executive of Heathrow Airport, has called on airlines to stop selling new tickets as vital functions at the airport have been severely restricted.

“We understand that this means that some summer flights are either moved to another day or to another airport or canceled, and we apologize to those whose travel plans have been affected,” he said. In recent weeks, he said, there have been periods when service has fallen to an “unacceptable” level.

Mr Holland Kaye said the airport could only handle 100,000 departures each day, just under the 104,000 it was expected to serve on average. Airlines have been asked to limit the number of tickets they sell to bring numbers back below the 100,000 cap.

When asked how Heathrow Airport applies the maximum capacity limit, airport spokeswoman Hannah Smith said she said this would be managed by an independent coordinator, Airport Coordination Limited. “Airlines have discretion in how they apply the limits in their individual schedules,” she said.

Summer travel in Europe has been marred by chaos at airports as airlines struggle to keep up with rising numbers of passengers, and anxious to travel after a pandemic shutdown and staff shortages. last week, Scandinavian airline SAS has filed for bankruptcy protection After hitting its pilots. There have also been strikes by airport and airline staff across Europe, amid frustration with long hours and low wages that have not kept pace with rising inflation.

Other airports have taken similar measures. Last month, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport feet cap capacityciting a security staff shortage and demand for air travel that far exceeds expectations, London’s Gatwick Airport also said last month. It will reduce flights for the months of July and August. British Airways said it would operate on an 11 per cent reduced schedule until October.

Mr Holland Kaye said Heathrow began hiring in November, in anticipation of high demand for summer travel, but some key roles were still understaffed, including ground handlers, whom airlines contract to load and unload bags, The planes that open their doors and deliver checks. – In passenger services.