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First Choice slams UK airports for lack of resources over terror alert
First Choice Holidays has criticised UK airports over the way they have handled increased security measures.
The operator said it had been largely unaffected by the alert, but marketing director Tim Williamson said not enough funds or resources were available to cope with the ‘critical’ security alert.
“We totally understand the need for tight security and we are not questioning this at all,” he said.
“However, it is almost five years since September 11 and we are disappointed that our customers have had to queue and suffer because of a lack of resources and procedures in place to deal with the raising of security to the highest level.
“First Choice would like to see the government and airports work together to put procedures in place to quickly ensure that customers do not suffer if the threat level rises to critical again.”
British Airways and Ryanair have also criticised BAA over its handling of the situation. Both have had to cancel flights because of the congestion.
However, First Choice’s criticisms came despite it experiencing very few delays and not being forced to cancel any flights.
Thomsonfly said it also carried every one of its 38,000 booked passengers to their flight destination without any flight cancellations on the day the terror alert struck.
“Over half of the flights Thomsonfly operated had less than an hour delay. The longest delays, due to the stringent additional restrictions, were Thomsonfly’s flights to the US – but these flights were operated. Passengers on one in five of the airline’s flight departed on time,” said a spokesman.
Monarch said it too has continued to operate a 100% schedule despite the increased security measures, with no flights cancelled.
It reported 88% of its scheduled flights departed within one hour of scheduled departure time.
By Bev Fearis
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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