Lord Parkinson, the arts minister, told Sky News' Kay Burley that the Department for Transport has been working with the travel and aviation industry to ensure they could get people away for half-term and Jubilee weekend breaks.
"We have been on a long pathway back to recovery so that people can enjoy this moment and [companies] should be making sure that people are able to get away on holiday and enjoy it fully," he said.There are"lots of opinionated people in the aviation industry", Lord Parkinson said, in reference to some of the airline bosses who have blamed the government for the long airport delays and flight cancellations people are experiencing.
The government has been using"post-Brexit freedoms" to make sure people can be hired more quickly, he said, and the aviation industry has been encouraged to use those freedoms to get more staff in.
Where are they supposed to get staff from ? Thousands were made redundant and it’s the government who hasn’t supported travel. Didn’t want to know. Not a priority. Nothing any Tory says is believable. JohnsonLiedPeopleDied
Who was it that privatised the airports again?
Could equally say that the Govt should have had plans in place for the substantial loss of EU workers following the Brexit referendum.
In fairness, executive directors at many airports could have made better decisions, but the disorder in getting passports lays squarely at the door of the Home Office.
Moaned like hell during lockdown about support and how economy needed to be opened, opened up and they couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Can sky get on Mr motor mouth himself Micheal O’Leary to explain as he’s so quick to complain!
It’s Brexit. Nothing to do with half term. They’ve been coping just fine for years and years.
down to greedy airport managers not putting in place plans for reopening...let too many staff go during pandemic with no plans for reopening...
Quick enough to lay thousands off but slow in re employing..
The number of flight cancellations now and the general chaos in some airports is an absolute scandal. Air travel has become completely unreliable. It can’t continue.
He had time to prepare for the interview but he also didn't seem to be on top of his brief.
Travel industry got rid of their long term back bone employees. Now recruiting on minimum pay, but want applicants to have 2 yrs experience. Shot themselves in the foot.
Absolute chais in Bristol yesterday, never seen anything like it, opening 2/3 turnstiles and then attitude when everyone was stressed and bemused in equal measures how to comply as no explanation was offered on what was required at each station.
Well he's not wrong is he?
All travel companies, including airports etc, should have had business continuity plans in place and have planned for a return to full operations during, and post, covid. They certainly had time to prepare.
So did the passport office