"Anger as Heathrow Airport Chaos Lingers"

Sunday, July 20, 2003

Anger as Heathrow Airport Chaos Lingers


LONDON (Reuters) - Angry passengers thronged the world's busiest
international airport, London Heathrow, on Sunday as staff warned that
fallout from wildcat strikes might take another day to clear.

Although British Airways check-in staff returned to work on Saturday night,
travelers faced long waits, many of them having slept an uncomfortable night
on the airport's floor.

"I have never been treated like this in my life," said Joan Harkless, who
had been stuck for 24 hours with her nine-year-old son after their flight to
Cairo was canceled.

Check-in staff walked out on Friday and again on Saturday morning over BA's
plans to introduce an automated "swipe card" system to record when employees
begin and end their shifts.

"The staff are using the passengers," said Harkless. "They didn't have to
walk out. They should all be sacked."

BA, Europe's biggest airline, said that seven short haul flights had been
canceled on Sunday, but all other Sunday flights were back to normal.

"We are doing everything we can to get passengers away, but the backlog may
well spill into tomorrow," said a spokeswoman, adding managers would
continue talking with unions on Monday.

Terminal 4 -- where BA's long-haul operation is based -- was packed wall to
wall on Sunday morning, with movement virtually impossible.

"I'm very angry about the whole thing," said Canadian salesman Marin
Trendafilow, who slept the night on the terminal floor.

"I was supposed to be back at work in Toronto last night and I don't know
how many other days I'm going to lose. This has left British Airways with a
very bad reputation."

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dc/dcboard.php

*****************************************