EasyJet COO resigns as Europe flight chaos worsens

Europe has seen a wave of flight delays and cancelations.

The Chief Operating Officer of the U.K. low-cost flight operator EasyJet resigned on Monday as the airline battles passenger and staff discontent amid thousands of summer flight cancellation.

Everyone at easyJet is focused on delivering a safe and reliable operation this summer, according to the CEO. David Morgan is the former director of flight operations.

According to the report, there was a disagreement among executives on how to handle the dispute with EasyJet staff. The airline's Spain-based staff staged a three-day strike over the weekend and are planning two more operations in July as a result of the pay talks.

Staff unions were not happy with EasyJet's decision to bring in a man who had previously worked for another airline. In the wake of proposed job cuts, the British Airline Pilots' Association said that its members near-unanimously expressed no confidence inBellew. The Unite union, which represents airline staff in the U.K., blamed Bellew for a lack of leadership after the airline canceled thousands of flights over the summer.

EasyJet had hoped to increase flight capacity this year in order to take advantage of a predicted surge in holiday travel after the COVID-19 flu. Lundgren said in January that he expected a strong summer ahead and that EasyJet would return to near-2019 levels of capacity.

EasyJet laid off staff to save costs when travel plummeted during the COVID-19 Pandemic and now that flights are returning, the airline is short staffed. The airline is struggling to bring new hires on board, despite offering an incentive such as a recognition payment of £1,000 to any staff that joined in advance of the holiday season. A tight labor market and the difficulty of bringing in foreign labor for some roles have made it hard for airlines to recruit.

The staff shortage is hurting other airlines in the U.K. There is a lack of security staff at airports. The U.K. plans to speed up national security background checks for new airport staff.

A global 'flightmare'

The return of leisure travel by European airlines and airports has been worse than in the U.S. Due to staff shortages, strained infrastructure and bad weather, the U.S. is experiencing flight delays and cancellation. Between April and June, European carriers canceled more flights than U.S. carriers did.

SAS filed for Chapter 11 in the US on Tuesday after the pilots went on strike. SAS warned today that the strike had a negative impact on the company's finances.

Up to half of flights at airports in the Netherlands, Norway, and Germany were delayed on Monday.

According to the Airports Council International, the fourth-busiest airport in Europe is Schiphol. The time it takes to pass through a security checkpoint has been extended due to a shortage of security staff. Airport officials have told passengers not to arrive more than four hours before their flight in order to alleviate congestion.