World News: Airline Staff Shortages Force Seat Removal
Experts predict staffing difficulties will continue for up to 12 months.
The airline is battling staff shortages as it attempts to return to pre-pandemic levels of service.
By taking out the back row of seating on its A319 fleet, EasyJet said it would be able to fly with three cabin crew instead of four.
That would limit numbers onboard to a maximum of 150 passengers.
EasyJet said it was an effective way of operating the fleet while “building additional resilience and flexibility” into the airline’s operations.
Flights would still meet Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations on the required number of cabin crew, which is based on the number of physical seats rather than passengers on board.
Airlines and airports in the UK have been struggling with staff shortages since Easter, as demand for travel has taken off again, following the removal of all remaining UK Covid travel restrictions.
EasyJet and BA were forced to cut hundreds of flights last month as levels of the virus surged, keeping staff off work, and making it hard to maintain full schedules.
Many airlines, including EasyJet, are hiring new cabin crew to replace staff made redundant during the pandemic. But experts predict staffing difficulties will continue for up to 12 months.
You can read the rest of the story here. By Simon Browning BBC News
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If only that would mean more legroom