Jet2 boss Steve Heapy is rumoured to have made the comments in talks this week
The boss of Jet2 has reportedly blamed the chaos at airports across the UK on “lazy Brits who live off benefits and sit on their arses.”
Airports and airlines are continuing to struggle with staff shortages after the impact of Brexit and the pandemic. This has caused major delays and cancellations.
Jet2 boss Steve Heapy apparently made the comments in talks this week in which airlines have demanded powers to hire visa-free workers from Europe.
Heapy is rumoured to have been expressing his frustration with the employment market in the UK when he allegedly made the remark, the Sun reports.
Airlines such as EasyJet and British Airways see unemployed cabin crew in Spain as an alternative labour pool they can use to ease the chaos at airports.
But transport secretary Grant Shapps has rejected the calls, angering Heapy.
Jet2 explained reason for current travel chaos mentioning elephant in the room, Brexit. Jet2 said covid layoffs is not the cause of staff shortages, the real reason is loss of hundreds of thousands of EU workers that used to staff our travel and leisure industry. #BrexitReality
— Dave Anderson 💙 (@DaveAndersonTLR) June 2, 2022
The Jet2 boss reportedly hit out at Brits for not turning up to job interviews or taking the application process seriously.
The company said he had expressed his frustration with the employment market, but said the “other rumours being circulated are categorically not the views of him or our company.”
Aviation bosses says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has rejected their request for special visas for foreign workers to quickly fill the vacant jobs at airports and on aircraft. @TomSwarbrick1 asks: whose responsibility is it to solve the chaos at airports? pic.twitter.com/qfjDKHceZZ
— LBC (@LBC) June 2, 2022
On Tuesday, TUI announced that hundreds more flights due to take off from Manchester Airport will be cancelled throughout June. The airport has seen some of the worst chaos in the country, coming second only after Gatwick for the most cancellations, iNews reports.
And on Thursday, holidaymakers were urged to only take hand luggage with them in order to to reduce delays and the chance of luggage going missing.
Andy Prendergast, national secretary of the GMB union, told Sky News: “If people can check in online and do not take [large] bags, that limits the disruption. It’s not a magic bullet but it does reduce the chance of there being problems.”
Paul Charles, chief executive of the PC Agency, also said that, where possible, “passengers should consider packing lightly and travelling with a small bag they can take on board the aircraft”.
Just landed at @Gatwick_Airport and some people in the #baggage reclaim say they have been waiting for bags for more than two hours. pic.twitter.com/X6NOSN5tkM
— Tony Brown (@tonyprod77) May 31, 2022
Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has suggested the army should be drafted into airports for the next “three to four months” to help ease the disruption.
He told ITV News: “Bringing in the army, which they do at many other European airports, would, at a stroke, relieve the pressure on airport security and would mean that people have a much better experience – not just this weekend, but for each weekend over the next three, four months.”
Related links:
- Jet2 suspends flights until late June due to ‘lack of clarity’ from government
- Travellers are now being told ‘don’t bring luggage’ in desperate bid to tackle airport chaos
- This ‘Welcome to Luton’ prank sends Gatwick Airport arrivals into a frenzy
