UK authorities call on airlines to prioritize passengers amid travel chaos

As travel disruptions continue to cause chaos across the industry, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) and Department for Transport (DfT) have written a joint letter ordering airlines to improve communication with passengers in advance of air travel.

The letter, which was signed by Richard Moriarty, CAA Chief Executive and Rannia Leontaridi Director General, Aviation, Maritime and Security, DfT, urged airlines to “prioritize passengers and treat their needs sensitively”.

“We ask you to review the information you are providing to passengers and ensure that you proactively engage with passengers,” the letter continued.

“To this end, we ask that you contact them in advance of their travel, such as in their booking email, to outline what they can expect for their travel this summer,” the letter continued.

In the letter, airlines were asked to include the below information as “a minimum”:

Recommended arrival times at their departure airport
Tips and preparation for travel such as the air travel checklist
How and when to request special assistance, aligned with the CAA guidance
Who and how to contact you if things go wrong
Their rights if their flight is cancelled or delayed, in particular;
covering re-routing to their destination at the earliest opportunity;
care and assistance; and
refunds, compensations and reimbursements
What to do if baggage is lost, damaged or delayed
While the rebound of air travel is positive for the industry, airlines and airports are facing a storm of operational challenges during the summer season of 2022.

Airlines and airports have announced cancellations and capacity caps to handle the return of travel demand.

In early July, Reuters reported that British Airways would cut its summer flight schedule by 11%, resulting in around 1,000 cancelled flights to destinations in Europe from its hubs at Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport.