Northern Ireland’s tourism bosses, meanwhile, have warned of the impact of plans for international tourists to have to apply for a permit to cross the Irish border.
Elsewhere, prime minister Boris Johnson is seeking to delay an investigation into to whether he lied to parliament over the “partygate” affair, while P&O Ferries has sacked a group of agency workers for drinking alcohol while on duty.
Here are the headlines the travel industry woke up to on Thursday (21 April).
More than 15,000 holidaymakers stranded as airport chaos rumbles on
British Airways and easyJet cancelled at least 100 flights from Heathrow and Gatwick on Wednesday (20 April) affecting an estimated 15,000 passengers. The disruption was caused by staff shortages that continue to disrupt the aviation industry. (The Daily Mail)
Cross-border permits will damage Northern Ireland tourism
Tourism leaders in Northern Ireland have warned that UK government proposals to require international travellers to apply for a permit to cross the Irish border will damage the sector. The rule would require non-British and non-Irish EU citizens to apply for pre-travel clearance to cross the border. (BBC News)
Johnson seeks to delay investigation on ‘partygate’
Prime minister Boris Johnson is trying to delay an investigation into whether he misled parliament over the “partygate” scandal. The House of Commons is due to vote on Thursday (21 April) on holding an investigation into whether Johnson lied to MPs about lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street. (Various)
P&O Ferries sacks agency workers for drinking on duty
P&O Ferries has sacked seven agency workers after they were found to have been drinking alcohol while on duty. The agency staff have been recruited as cheaper replacements to the 800 seafaring crew who were sacked by the company last month. (The Telegraph)
US Justice Department to appeal airline mask ruling
The US Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that threw out the federal mandate that face masks must be worn on aircraft, trains and travel hubs in the US earlier this week. (The Independent)
High energy prices here for next decade
UK consumers are likely to face high energy bills for several years according to industry experts, as wholesale prices for gas and electricity are expected to stay “significantly above average levels” until 2030. (The Times)
