There is some good news, though, with news of shoppers continuing to return to Britain’s high streets last month.
Here are the key travel headlines making national bulletins and frontpages on Tuesday 5 April.
Travel bloodbath at Heathrow continues
British Airways cancelled 115 flights to or from Heathrow airport yesterday, City AM reports. Large queues were already seen around 6am this morning with many frustrated travellers taking to social media to vent their anger and dismay. (City AM)
Easter flight cancellations to continue for days
EasyJet is expected to cancel more flights in the coming days due to staff absences. Around 60 flights to and from the UK are likely to be grounded on Tuesday following 62 cancellations on Monday. British Airways also cancelled 62 flights on Monday. (BBC News)
Airlines blame government for airport chaos
Airlines admit a severe lack of staff means they cannot cope with surging passenger numbers after Covid restrictions were lifted. However, sources pointed at government officials over lengthy delays to counterterrorism checks required for new pilots, cabin and ground crew. Unions warn the situation could be repeated this summer. (The Telegraph)
Retail footfall improves in March
Retail footfall saw a double-digit boost last month in London and the Southeast, thanks to a bout of sunshine. London and the Southeast saw an 11.3% rise in footfall to retail destinations in March, however this was down 22% on pre-pandemic levels. Across the UK, footfall was up 9.9%, data from Ipsos revealed. (City AM)
UK tourists killed in Australia
Two members of a British family have died and two others are critically injured after a landslide in Australia. The man, 49, and his nine-year-old son were killed by falling rocks in the Blue Mountains near Sydney on Monday. The family were on holiday at the time. (BBC News)
Ferry disruption as ship breaks down
Ferry crossings to Spain and France are set to be disrupted after a new liquefied natural gas-powered ship broke down days after its inaugural voyage. Brittany Ferries said an engine fault delayed the departure from Bilbao of its Salamanca ferry by 26 hours. (BBC News)
