Ryanair provides 500 flights at Stansted to cowl October half-term

Ryanair is so as to add greater than 500 flights to its London Stansted schedule to maintain tempo with demand in the course of the October half-term vacation.

Michael O’Leary, the chief government of the low-cost airline, mentioned further capability on the Essex airport would imply capability for an additional 100,000 passengers at a time when “hopeless” Heathrow suffers additional journey chaos.

Ryanair’s transfer comes a day after Heathrow introduced an extension of its 100,000 passenger a day cap for an additional six weeks because the aviation sector continues to battle to fulfill elevated demand for journey amid staffing shortages.

The capability restrict was initially meant to final till 11 September, however that date was pushed again on Monday to 29 October, overlapping with the autumn half-term break for most colleges.

“Whereas hopeless Heathrow continues to mismanage air journey, Ryanair and London Stansted will proceed to develop and ship,” O’Leary mentioned.

Heathrow, which final month requested airways to cease promoting summer season tickets, has mentioned the introduction of the passenger cap has eased journey chaos.

The airport’s bosses have repeatedly criticised airways for a scarcity of floor handlers at Heathrow, which has resulted in passengers not touring with their baggage and lengthy waits at pickup when coming dwelling.

“Our major concern is guaranteeing we give our passengers a dependable service once they journey,” mentioned Ross Baker, the chief business officer at Heathrow. “That’s why we launched non permanent capability limits in July which have already improved journeys in the course of the summer season getaway. We wish to take away the cap as quickly as attainable, however we are able to solely achieve this once we are assured that everybody working on the airport has the sources to ship the service our passengers deserve.”

Ryanair mentioned the airline – and Stansted – have “greater than ample workers to deal with these further flights in the course of the autumn mid-term break”.

A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic mentioned the airline was “upset” that Heathrow had moved to increase the passenger cap as “further sources come on line each week and the airport expertise improves”.

“We’re doing every little thing in our energy to minimise disruption, getting our clients to the place they must be easily,” she added.

In June, O’Leary prompt the military might be drafted in to plug the hole in airport safety brought on by the protracted hiring, coaching and official vetting course of of latest workers.

“Bringing within the military, which they do at many different European airports, would, at a stroke, relieve the strain on airport safety,” he mentioned.