Latest news with #AirAdvisor
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Ryanair launches new flight route to 'beautiful' European city
The budget airline has announced that it will be launching a new flight route to a little-known European city from October, with fares starting from just £15 Ryanair has unveiled plans to introduce a new flight route to the lesser-known European city of Rzeszów in Poland, starting from October. The budget airline will operate flights twice a week to and from the Polish city. This development follows the cancellation of five flights from its Maastricht base, including Alicante, Bari, Girona, Porto, and Zadar, and the confirmation of the base's closure after October 2025. AirAdvisor experts have scrutinised these changes, suggesting that the airline is pivoting towards destinations with heavy diaspora populations and underused regional airports. They elaborated: "Ryanair's route reshuffle sends two clear signals: regional airports in the UK are getting more love, while underperforming bases like Maastricht are being cut loose. "For UK passengers, this creates more direct options from places like Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Norwich, but also leaves them exposed to short-notice route cancellations." The launch of this flight route in October provides the Polish community in Scotland with a more affordable alternative for flying back to Poland over the Christmas period. Fares are set to range between £15 and £30, resulting in savings of approximately £20 to £50 compared to booking routes with connections, reports the Express. Those planning to capitalise on cheaper routes for their winter holidays can also consider Rzeszów as a destination, complete with a charming Christmas market. And the market square makes for a great historical and cultural destination even when it isn't the festive season. Taking to TripAdvisor, one visitor wrote: "The History of Market Square in Rzeszów dates back to the 15th century, but the current look of the market is much different from its original form. "It is the result of a great fire which broke out in the 19th century. No matter what, it is nowadays beautiful as well, especially during early morning or evening." While another added: "Remarkable selection of things to eat and drink for dinner and dessert or appetiser for noshing while you sit and watch the world go by. Absolutely beautiful in all the seasons."
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
European airline cancels 1,400 summer flights amid pilot shortage
Thousands of UK holidaymaker's summer travel plans are in turmoil after a European airline cancelled 1,400 flights. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has axed around 1.5 per cent of its scheduled departures until October 2025. According to air passenger rights company AirAdvisor, as many as 50,000 UK passengers will be affected by the flight cancellations, including those with connecting and indirect itineraries. AirAdvisor estimates that between 10 and 15 flights will be impacted daily, with UK to Switzerland routes out of Heathrow, London City, Manchester and Edinburgh representing up to 12 per cent of cancellations. It added that SWISS's cancellations will impact competitor airlines such as British Airways and easyJet as demand increases on short-haul routes to Zurich and Geneva. Long-haul passengers bound for Shanghai and Chicago will also be impacted by the cancellations this summer. Anton Radchenko, founder of AirAdvisor, said: 'With this latest wave of SWISS cancellations, summer just got more complicated for UK travellers. We're not seeing a demand problem but a staffing and scheduling bottleneck. 'Flights are getting axed not because people aren't flying, but because airlines don't have enough fully trained pilots to operate them.' Pilot shortages particularly affect crews on A320, A321, A330, and A340 aircraft, reports Aviation24. Travellers due to fly on the cancelled SWISS journeys are entitled to a full refund and free rerouting under EU261 regulation. SWISS said: 'We regret that we are unable to offer the affected connections as originally planned. In such cases, we inform the affected customers as early as possible. 'Schedule adjustments are made as far in advance as possible to minimise inconvenience and to find the best possible alternative travel solutions for our passengers', in a statement to
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Major EU airline chaos as 1,400 flights suddenly axed with UK airports included
A staggering 50,000 UK travellers could be impacted by mass flight cancellations - as one Europe's most popular airlines admits a pilot and fleet shortage has spearheaded the sudden move One of Europe's most respected European airlines has sparked chaos after axing a staggering number of flights over the summer season. Swiss International Air Lines (also known as SWISS) suddenly cancelled 1,400 journeys, blaming the decision on a pilot and fleet shortage, With disruption expected to last until October 2025, experts over at AirAdvisor say the move could have a 'ripple effect' across Europe and beyond - and has the potential to affect a whopping 50,000 UK travellers. This is because SWISS currently operates direct flights four major UK airports: London Heathrow, London City, Manchester, and Edinburgh. It is predicted around 10-15 UK flights are operated by SWISS per day, with the majority leaving from London Heathrow, and represent 10-12 per cent of the mass cancellations. While this directly impacts travellers flying to Zurich, the airline's hub, it may also disrupt passengers flying indirectly to long-haul destinations - or those that have yet to book their in-bound flight home. Aviation Expert & Founder of AirAdvisor, Anton Radchenk argues the cancellations are just the 'tip of the iceberg' and reflect wider issues in the European aviation industry. "2025 has already been notorious for flight cancellations, especially due to persistent industrial action and ATC issues, be it in Germany, Italy, Greece, France or Finland," he added. "With this latest wave of SWISS cancellations, summer just got more complicated for UK travellers. We're not seeing a demand problem but a staffing and scheduling bottleneck. Flights are getting axed not because people aren't lying, but because airlines don't have enough fully trained pilots to operate them." SWISS Cancellations - will I get my money back? If you're impacted by the axing, you will be entitled to a full refund and free re-routing under the EU261 regulation. If your flight's departure is less than 14 days from the time of the SWISS cancellation announcement, you'll get between £220 and £520, depending on the distance of the flight and length of delay. "With these proactive adjustments to our flight schedule, our aim is to maintain the highest possible level of stability and reliability for our passengers," SWISS said in a statement sent to the Mirror. "On long-haul routes, this affects flights to Shanghai until the end of June, and to Chicago until the end of June, as well as during September and October. On short- and medium-haul routes, this affects flights from Geneva Airport to various destinations between early May and the end of October. From Zurich Airport, we will have to cancel individual flights to various European destinations in August and September. "We regret that we are unable to offer the affected connections as originally planned. In such cases, we inform the affected customers as early as possible. Schedule adjustments are made as far in advance as possible to minimize inconvenience and to find the best possible alternative travel solutions for our passengers." The huge blow to Brits is another reminder to always book your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. This can help protect you from losing money after paying for hotels and excursions etc which you may not be able to attend due to flights being cancelled. As previously reported, travel insurance experts at Staysure advise finding a policy that covers injuries, cancellations, and lost or stolen items as a bare minimum. "If you're off on a cruise or snow-slope adventure, it's important to remember that you will need to take out specific cover for those types of trips," they said in an exclusive interview with the Mirror. "If you'll be doing activities such as water sports or hiking, ensure your policy covers these... Leaving things till the last minute may mean that you're not covered if anything goes wrong in the build-up to your trip and while away." If you're an avid globe trotter, booking annual insurance rather than taking out a policy for each individual trip can often work out better value for money. Plus, it saves the hassle of filling out multiple forms.
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Hundreds of flights being cancelled today because of industrial action
Hundreds of flights being cancelled today because of industrial action One airport says it is cancelling all departing flights A queue of people waiting at a boarding gate at the airport Industrial action by workers at Brussels Airport and Brussels Charleroi Airport has forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights from the Belgian capital's key air travel hubs today, Tuesday, April 29. Analysis of live fight tracking data from FlightAware by AirAdvisor suggests that as of 8am UK BST on Tuesday 29 April, 105 flights with Brussels Airport as their origin or destination have been cancelled. Brussels Airport is Belgium's largest airport and key international hub. A further 113 due to depart from or arrive at Brussels Charleroi have been cancelled. It comes after Charleroi Airport, which usually connects travellers with Manchester and Edinburgh airports announced that it would cancel all departing flights today due to there not being enough staff "to run operations in complete safety', according to a statement on its website. Brussels Airlines, Belgium's flag carrier and largest airline has cancelled 59 flights according to FlightAware. Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor, said: 'On 10 February, Brussels Airport was forced to ground all departures scheduled on the day due to strikes. Another round of industrial action took place on 31 March, cancelling hundreds of flights set to depart the country. 'Early indications suggest that this latest round of industrial action is having a similar effect on Belgium's travel infrastructure and it doesn't look like the issue is going to be resolved any time soon.' The action is being led by the General Labor Federation of Belgium and the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions, which represent handling and security staff at both airports. Article continues below The unions are protesting against government policies that they believe will force people to work more hours for worse pensions and stagnating wages. Anton continues: 'If you were due to travel to or from Belgium today and your flight has been cancelled you have a number of options. 'Firstly, reach out to your airline and seek a replacement flight to your intended destination, which they are obliged to provide you with. This could be with a different airline from or from another airport - or both. 'If you have decided that you want to cancel your trip, you are entitled to a refund equivalent to the value of the price of your ticket. Article continues below 'It's very likely that today's events will have a domino-effect on flights tomorrow and potentially the day after too, as both airports may not be able to double daily capacity to accommodate postponed flights from today. 'If you're due to travel later in the week, you may wish to re-book for a few more days' ahead when the situation should have resolved itself.'
