Good to get some inside info, thanks. Sounds like the Swissport staff are on the receiving end here and I feel sorry for them.People flying with the airlines that swissport handle are the problem, they are severely short staffed, things are that bad at swissport they are paying the staff £50 pH on overtime, 50 fucking quid.
Dnata and jet2 aren't having any problems, a bit tight but manageable .
DHL handle easyJet only, they seem to be struggling at the moment, but the cancellations wasn't down to staffing levels
Menzies are short but swissport are fucked all the horror stories about delays and sat on aircraft for hours are usually swissport handled airlines.
Don't think it will get any better for the foreseeable as well.
This summer will be atrocious for swissport, the lads and girls are working their bollox off, but there isn't enough of them, I can't comment on security staffing levels, I go through there every day and never have a problem getting through the staff entrance, although going through the cargo side can take ages, but that includes vehicle searches
If you think about the cost of working at the airport I’m not surprised they are short staff, fuel has sky rocketed so you’d need to fa your your commute in each day, pay better wages you may get more staff, but pay minimum wage and no way people will travel in to the airport to work. I hope it’s sorted by October but I doubt it.
Not sure you can actually blame the airlines, when contracts are signed they will specify how many staff will attend to the aircraft during the turn around, egGood to get some inside info, thanks. Sounds like the Swissport staff are on the receiving end here and I feel sorry for them.
It's a bit like a football manager though, isn''t it. Pep doesn't blame the players in public when things go wrong and Manchester Airport and TUI have to take a lot of responsibility here. Surely it's their job to check that the requisite facilities are in place before scheduling a load of flights?
All separate, drinks and food's are one company, the handling staff are different companies, the airport make fortunes from these companies, problems start at security that's down to the airport, the prices you pay in the terminal goes towards paying their staff, costs and rentGiven the cost of parking, drop off, price of a pint / coffee / water in the terminal, you'd think operating units in the airport are making a healthy enough margin to pay a decent wage.
It is a common theme across organisations, management panicked during lockdown and laid staff off without any long term strategic plan.
Yes, I understand that. I'm just wondering whether TUI actually did any checks that going from a small number of flights a day to shedloads that the airport could handle it. Swissport should have pushed back and said no we can't handle that many but ultimately people don't book their holidays with Swissport - the buck stops with the airline from a customer POV.Not sure you can actually blame the airlines, when contracts are signed they will specify how many staff will attend to the aircraft during the turn around, eg
Tui will say that when the aircraft arrives on the stand we want 4 people, if the handling agents can't provide those staff what can the airlines do, then you have catering, cleaning, fueling, water services, baggage hall, one service breaksdown then it has a knock on effect, the aircraft gets delayed this then has another knock on for aircraft waiting for stands, then backlogs happen
Why should tui have to check they've paid the contract, swissport need to honour that contract, tui can't say it's a bit busy we shouldn't provide flights to certain destinations because if they did another airline would provide that destination and tui would lose out, as for the airport, I can assure you the airport know the ins and outs of everything, but apart from kicking swissport off the airport which they can't do because who would service those aircraft what can they do,Yes, I understand that. I'm just wondering whether TUI actually did any checks that going from a small number of flights a day to shedloads that the airport could handle it. Swissport should have pushed back and said no we can't handle that many but ultimately people don't book their holidays with Swissport - the buck stops with the airline from a customer POV.
I would also expect airport management to have a good overview of what was going on and check that all their subcontractors were in a position to honour their contracts.
You are there on the ground so I'm not in any way trying to contradict you, but from a customer POV, it feels like this is caused by more than one or two isolated incidents causing the backlog.
All separate, drinks and food's are one company, the handling staff are different companies, the airport make fortunes from these companies, problems start at security that's down to the airport, the prices you pay in the terminal goes towards paying their staff, costs and rent
Agreed, companies didn't have to lay staff off because of the furlough scheme, they panicked, even I knew when the pandemic was over the airport would go back to capacity pretty much straight awayI understand that which is why I referred to them as "operating units". From my experience the staffing shortages aren't just part of airport security and handlers but also in the terminal outlets.
Management made a complete f*ck up in laying their staff off to save in the short term a small amount. I've seen such actions elsewhere and smirked when management had to re hire staff they laid off. A bit like the airport management were then ignorant of their balls up and carried on.
Some airlines were on their arse before Covid was even word, it was a sad site to see Thomas Cook staff losing their jobs etc. I wouldn't be surprised if many people swerve the travel industry due to the uncertainty and cost of commuting etc.