delays

Aug. 17 (UPI) — Air Canada on Sunday delayed plans to resume limited operations after flight attendants defied a government-mandated back-to-work order and binding arbitration.

Limited service instead will resume on Monday night, the airline said in a news release Sunday.

Flight attendants with Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge originally were ordered to return to shifts by 2 p.m. Sunday, CBC reported.

The 10,000 flight attendants remain on strike, which began after midnight Saturday.

“We invite Air Canada back to the table to negotiate a fair deal, rather than relying on the federal government to do their dirty work for them when bargaining gets a little bit tough,” the Canadian Union of Public Employees said in a statement.

“We have received overwhelming support from the public and Union workers everywhere,” the union posted on Facebook. “This is an historic moment for labor and for workers across the country.”

CUPE National President Mark Hancock ripped up the order Sunday in front of a cheering crowd outside Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.

“We will continue to fight on the picket lines, on the streets, at the bargaining table, in the courts, and in Parliament, until the injustice of unpaid work is done for good,” he said Saturday in a union news release. “Workers will win — despite the best effort of the Liberal government and their corporate friends.”

On Saturday, 12 hours after the strike, Jobs Minister Patty Haju invoked Section 107 of the Canadian Labor Code, which directs the Canadian Relations Board to arbitrate the dispute and extended the terms of the existing agreement until a new one is determined by an arbiter. The contract expired on March 31.

“We will be challenging this blatantly unconstitutional order that violates the Charter rights of 10,000 flight attendants, 70 percent of whom are women, and 100 percent of whom are forced to do hours of unpaid work by their employer every time they come to work,” the union said in a statement.

Air Canada said the union “illegally directed its flight attendants to defy a direction” from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board to return to work.

The carrier said it planned to resume approximately 240 of its normal 700 flights a day, though it would take seven to 10 days for the schedule to “stabilize.”

More than 130,000 travelers worldwide fly on the airline daily.

Canada’s largest airline includes 170 international ones, and from 50 Canadian airports. Between more than 50 U.S. airports and Canada, the company averages about 430 daily flights.

Air Canada Express, with 300 regional flights, is operated by Jazz Aviation and PAl Airlines, is not affected.

Customers will be notified about canceled flights and are strongly advised not to go the airport unless they have confirmed flights on other airlines.

Those on canceled flights can obtain a full refund or receive a credit for future travel.

Also, the carrier will offer to rebook customers on other carriers, although capacity is limited because of the peak summer travel season.

Flight attendants went on strike at 12:58 a.m. EDT Saturday and the company locked them out at 1:30 a.m.

The flight attendants and their supporters were on picket lines throughout Canada.

The last negotiations were on Friday night, and no new talks were scheduled.

“Air Canada and CUPE flight attendants are at an impasse and remain unable to resolve their dispute,” she said in a statement released Saturday afternoon Eastern time. “Canadians are increasingly finding themselves in very difficult situations and the strike is rapidly impacting the Canadian economy.”

“This decision will help make sure that hundreds of thousands of Canadians and visitors to our country are not impacted because of cancelled flights. Further, the shipments of critical goods such as pharmaceuticals and organ tissue, over 40% of which are moved by Air Canada, should continue to reach their destinations,” she said.

On Wednesday, the airline served the union a statutory 72-hour lockout notice in response to the union’s 72-hour strike notice.

Air Canada was canceling flights ahead of the work stoppage.

“I don’t think anyone’s in the mood to go back to work,” Lillian Speedie, vice president of CUPE Local 4092, told CBC at a picket line outside Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga on Sunday. “To legislate us back to work 12 hours after we started? I’m sorry, snowstorms have shut down Air Canada for longer than we were allowed to strike.”

The Air Canada union asked the jobs minister to direct the parties to enter into binding arbitration.

But on Saturday afternoon, the union blasted the order to end the strike and posted images and video strikers. More visuals were posted Sunday.

“This sets a terrible precedent. Contrary to the Minister’s remarks, this will not ensure labor peace at Air Canada,” the union said Saturday.

Air Canada has become dependent on the federal government to solve its labor-relations issues, Steven Tufts, associate professor and labour geographer at York University, told CBC.

“Air Canada has to learn not to call mommy and daddy every time they reach an impasse at the bargaining table,” Tufts said. “They have to actually sit down and get a deal done with their workers.”

In 2024, Air Canada asked for the government to be ready to step in but the two sides reached a tentative agreement.

Flight attendants want to be compensated for work before the flights take off and after they land. Typically with most airlines, they get paid only for the hours they are in the air.

Birmingham Airport’s runway was shut down for about six hours on Wednesday afternoon and evening, delaying thousands of passengers and leading many planes to divert

Birmingham Airport is still dealing with the knock‑on impact of an emergency landing that closed its runway on Wednesday afternoon.

At 1.40 pm a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, with three people on board, began to experience issues with its landing gear. The pilot aborted the journey to Belfast and turned back to Birmingham for a bumpy landing, which saw it collapse onto its undercarriage on the tarmac.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, whisking the two crew members and one passenger away from the wreckage. Thankfully, they were not injured. The runway was immediately closed following the crash landing, leading to dozens of flights both to and from the airport being cancelled and delayed. Thousands of passengers in Birmingham, across the UK and internationally were disrupted. The incident at Birmingham came after a union in Spain announced its Ryanair workers would strike at 12 airports in the coming weeks.

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Newly emerged footage from the scene shows the white light aircraft collapsed on the runway, its nose tilted down towards the tarmac. It is surrounded by emergency service vehicles and personnel. The incident is now being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

Live departure and arrival boards highlight the knock‑on impact of the runway closure, which was only lifted at 8 pm last night, meaning six hours of the flight schedule were missed.

Delays this morning include a four‑hour wait for a TUI flight to Keffalinia, a three‑hour wait for Lanzarote and a three‑hour wait to Zakynthos. A handful of arrivals have also been bumped down the schedule. The 6am KLM flight to Amsterdam this morning was cancelled because the aircraft and crew could not reach Birmingham on Wednesday.

Diversions yesterday meant that several planes were in the wrong place, causing a headache for airline schedulers. Planes were diverted as far away as Liverpool, Cardiff, and Gatwick.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch says it is investigating the incident at Birmingham Airport. It said in a statement: “Following an incident involving a light aircraft at Birmingham Airport, the AAIB has deployed a team to the site to begin an investigation. A multi‑disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data have been deployed to the airport.”

The latest statement from Birmingham Airport came just before 8 pm last night. It read: “Following the aircraft incident today, the runway has reopened and operations have resumed. All passengers must check flight details with their airlines and follow advice issued by them. We understand the frustration and apologise for the disruption this has caused. Our teams have worked as quickly as possible, in line with strict protocols, which must be followed to ensure a safe reopening of the runway following a prolonged closure.”

A small silver lining for delayed passengers came in the form of a chilled pint. Organisers of a beer festival held next door to the airport offered those caught up in the chaos a free bev if they showed their boarding pass. “We hope everyone is ok at Birmingham International Airport. If you are stuck at the airport, come to the Great British Beer Festival next door at the NEC for a pint while you wait,” the organisers tweeted.

A MAJOR motorway is closed after a lorry caught on fire, causing significant delays.

The M6 northbound is closed between J3A for Coleshill and J4 for the M42.

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It has led to around five miles of congestion, with drivers being warned of long delays.

Delays of around an hour can be expected.

Motorists have been advised to plan alternative routes.

A diversion via the M42 up to the J9 roundabout is in place.

The incident occurred at around 4pm today, with pictures from National Highways showing fire crews tackling the blaze.

A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport has warned that the delays could affect routes to the terminal.

In addition to the M6 closure, the M42 and A4535 are also affected by closures amid “multiple ongoing road incidents”.

If you’re planning on going away any time soon, there are some things you need to know about visiting the airport. A travel expert has warned against wearing certain items

As the holiday season fast approaches, many are eagerly making plans for airport travel, daydreaming of sun-soaked getaways and much-needed downtime. However, if you’re gearing up to head out soon, pay attention, as your trip through the airport could be smoother with some insider knowledge.

Heed the advice of travel gurus who warn that certain accessories might set you back due to unexpected delays. The fashion stakes are high when flying – it’s not just about comfort, as it’s also about ensuring a hassle-free journey, with your attire having the potential to make or break your airport experience.

Jetpac‘s very own travel expert Pearlyn Yeo, with a hefty Instagram following of over 20,000 on the company platform, has given pointers on what not to don at the airport. Take this guidance from Pearlyn – offered exclusively to us – to heart, as it could vastly improve your globetrotting this year.

The expert explained: “Keeping sunglasses on or wearing headphones through passport control can cause unnecessary delays and stress. These accessories can make it harder for border agents and automated systems to confirm your identity or get your attention.

“Both facial recognition gates and human officers rely on clear eye contact and unobstructed facial features. Sunglasses can interfere with the technology and an officer’s ability to assess your behaviour and demeanour.

“Headphones, on the other hand, can distract you and mean you miss important instructions – both of which can slow down the process. As well as removing the above accessories before heading through security and passport control, it’s important that travellers are prepared.

“At Jetpac, we advise all travellers to keep their documents digitally and ensure they are easy to access. eSIMs can help to organise everything you need. But it’s also wise to know when to put your devices and any other distractions away.

“For example, when going through immigration. Removing accessories and putting devices away shows that you’re ready and also that you respect certain protocols.”

Pearlyn added: “Most security staff will ask you to remove these items or stop using devices, so it will only add to your journey time and stress if you’re not prepared.

“With this in mind, it’s best to remove headphones, pack away phones and tablets and pop your sunglasses safely away before you reach security, passport control or immigration.

“In doing so, you’re more likely to breeze through border control and you won’t have to worry about unnecessary delays or stress.”

When it comes to choosing an outfit for travelling, there are a few golden rules that one should typically adhere to. The focus should primarily be on practicality and comfort.

The general advice is to opt for layered clothing, breathable materials and comfy footwear. It’s also wise to steer clear of tight-fitting garments, bulky items and anything with an excess of metal that could potentially delay security checks.

By sticking to these guidelines, you’re likely to breeze through security checks. It’s always beneficial to have a few travel tips up your sleeve.

July 14 (UPI) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that Europe’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods have been delayed to allow more time for negotiations.

The retaliatory measures, worth about $24 billion, were to go into effect on Monday. They were first announced in March in response to Trump’s imposing a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, and were previously paused for talks between the two governments.

On Saturday, Trump announced an additional 30% tariff would go into effect on EU goods starting Aug. 1. In a letter to von der Leyen, he explained that if the EU retaliated, whatever percentage of tariff they responded with would be added to the EU’s overall levy.

During a press conference Sunday, alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, she said their retaliatory measures have been paused until Aug. 1.

“This is very important. This is now the time for negotiations,” she said. “But this also shows are are prepared for all eventual scenarios.”

She told reporters that they have always preferred to negotiate a solution with the United States and that “we will use the time that we have now until the first of August.”

If an agreement is not reached with the United States, she said they are prepared to respond.

“We’ve prepared for this and we can respond with countermeasures if necessary,” she said.

Trump has turned to tariffs as a tool to even out trade deficits, as a negotiation tactic and as an attempt to spur the domestic manufacturing industry.

The U.S. trade deficit with the 27-member EU was $235.6 billion last year, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Ursula von der Leyen says bloc hopes to see negotiated solution to trade tensions.

The European Union has delayed retaliatory tariffs on exports from the United States as officials scramble to reach a trade deal with Washington ahead of US President Donald Trump’s August 1 deadline.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on Sunday that the bloc would extend its suspension of countermeasures as it continued negotiations with the Trump administration.

“At the same time, we will continue to prepare for the countermeasures, so we’re fully prepared,” von der Leyen said during a news conference in Brussels.

“We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution,” she added.

“This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now until the 1st of August.”

The EU’s announcement comes after Trump on Saturday unveiled plans to slap a 30 percent tariff on European and Mexican exports from August 1.

The EU in March announced retaliatory tariffs on 26 billion euros ($30bn) of US exports in response to Trump’s duties on steel and aluminium.

The bloc paused the measures for 90 days the following month after Trump announced he would delay the implementation of his so-called “reciprocal tariffs”.

The EU’s pause had been due to expire at midnight on Monday.

EU trade ministers are scheduled to convene in Brussels on Monday to discuss options for responding to Trump’s latest tariff threats.

On Sunday, White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett said that Trump was not happy with the “sketches of deals” presented by US trade partners so far and that their offers would “need to be better”.

“These tariffs are real if the president doesn’t get a deal that he thinks is good enough, but, you know, conversations are ongoing, and we’ll see where the dust settles,” Hassett told ABC News’s This Week.

Taken together, EU member countries are the US’s largest trading partner.

US-EU trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.

Reporting from Sacramento — In his first week in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a strong warning to cities and counties: He was coming for their road repair dollars if they didn’t meet state goals for new housing.

“If you’re not hitting your goals, I don’t know why you get the money,” Newsom said when he announced his budget plans in January.

Two months later, Newsom is setting aside plans to withhold state transportation dollars from local governments for four years. The move, which comes after fellow Democrats pushed back on the idea, is part of a larger acknowledgment that revamping how California plans for growth will be more arduous than the governor implied on the campaign trail.

Newsom made the announcement Monday when he unveiled a new bill that will be debated as part of the state budget. The legislation calls for $750 million in new funding for cities and counties to plan for increased housing production and then receive financial rewards as new building occurs. The money would begin flowing, according to the bill, in August.

“Our state’s affordability crisis is undermining the California Dream and the foundations of our economic well-being,” Newsom said in a release.

Gov. Gavin Newsom threatens to cut state funding from cities that don’t approve enough housing »

But the bill released Monday also laid out a lengthy timeline for the governor to implement more contentious parts of his housing agenda.

As a candidate, Newsom called for the building of 3.5 million new homes in the state by 2025, an amount that would more than quadruple the current rate of production.

For five decades, the state has required cities and counties to plan for housing production at a rate sufficient for all residents to live affordably. But the process hasn’t resulted in nearly enough homebuilding, especially for low-income residents, to meet demand.

Newsom pledged to reset housing supply goals so cities and counties would have to set aside more land for housing, concentrate production in existing urban areas to support climate change efforts and receive greater financial incentives to actually approve development. California’s tax system generally provides local governments with more tax revenue if they authorize hotel or commercial projects instead of housing.

Under Newsom’s new proposal, the state could take until 2023 — after the governor’s first term in office has ended — to put the new housing supply goals in place. When he unveiled his budget in January, Newsom also said he wanted to withhold money from the state’s recently approved increases to the gas tax and vehicle registration fees from communities that blocked housing. The bill says that wouldn’t happen until 2023 as well.

Giving new money to cities and counties before implementing new planning rules is an effort to show local governments that the governor sees their support as vital to meeting his housing goals, said Jason Elliott, Newsom’s chief deputy cabinet secretary.

“The best way to do that is to work with cities,” Elliott said.

When Newsom first announced his plans to tie transportation funding to housing goals, he didn’t provide a timeline. But some Democratic lawmakers made clear they weren’t fans.

At a budget committee hearing last month, Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) noted that voters upheld the gas tax hike at the ballot last year and said the governor shouldn’t consider restricting that money.

“We worked too hard on that and to all of a sudden have that used as a potential is disturbing to me,” Aguiar-Curry said.

It’s unclear if pushing off the plan for four years will lessen legislators’ concerns.

Sen. James Beall (D-San Jose), who authored the gas tax increase in 2017, said in a statement after the bill was released Monday that he remains against linking road construction funds to housing supply goals.

“Their use for any other purpose, such as to be used as leverage, is a violation of the trust of the voters and taxpayers,” Beall said.

[email protected]

@dillonliam

The new ‘My Journey’ feature has been designed to help passengers easily manage their flights and track all updates on their mobile devices

Wizz Air has launched a new in-flight app feature which it hopes will transform the passenger in-flight experience.

The Hungarian budget airline has just unveiled “My Journey,” an addition to the Wizz Air mobile app that offers passengers flight management at their fingertips.

Alongside the usual channels of communication customers may have with their airline—such as phone calls, SMS, and emails—they can now do it all through the app.

That includes getting instant updates on flight status, including check-in, boarding time, and gate number, and finding out whether you’re eligible for a meal voucher or hotel stay if your flight is delayed or cancelled.

READ MORE: Wizz Air boss hit with £60 fine by own staff for breaking hand luggage rules

If you are, then you’ll be able to claim any entitled benefits in the app during your journey, including meals, accommodation, and even compensation.

Customers in this tricky situation can also review and select alternative travel arrangements like rebooking, refunds, or accepting a new flight proposed by Wizz Air.

This could prove to be a major boon for passengers, given how difficult it can be to work out what to do if a flight is cancelled or delayed.

Wizz Air boasts of being one of the most reliable and punctual airlines operating in the UK. According to Cirium data, it is the country’s second-most punctual airline. It was one of the airlines least impacted by last week’s French air traffic controller strike. This is in contrast to budget airline Ryanair, which said it had been forced to cancel more than 170 flights, with the holiday plans of more than 30,000 passengers disrupted.

However, Wizz Air is likely to be impacted to some extent before the summer is out. This season, air traffic is expected to be 5% higher than last year. Air traffic controller strikes and the impact of wildfires currently breaking out across the hotter parts of Europe could well lead to flight delays and cancellations this month and next.

“It’s not just about flying, it’s about feeling in control during those frustrating moments,” said Boglarka Spak, Wizz Air’s Head of Customer Experience.

“My Journey is the ultimate solution for our passengers—enabling them to own their travel experience, whatever happens. With ‘My Journey,’ we’re empowering our customers with real-time tools to manage their trip on their own terms. This is another step towards our commitments made in our Customer First Compass initiative. We believe launching this feature during the peak summer period, when more flights are impacted by weather and air traffic control-related disruptions, will help our customers navigate more easily and save time and energy during their trips.”

The Wizz Air app has had 35 million downloads across Apple, Google, and Huawei platforms so far. “My Journey” will be rolled out as an update to the app in stages from 9 July.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A powerful U.S. senator on Tuesday called on the Trump administration to fix a growing backlog and longtime management problems at the program that promises benefits when police and firefighters die or become disabled in the line of duty.

Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program is failing the spouses and children of deceased and disabled first responders and needs new leadership. He said the mismanagement has caused significant hardship for grieving families, who often experience yearslong delays in processing and approving claims.

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” he wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, in which he suggested she consider replacing longtime program leader Hope Janke.

Grassley’s letter comes days after The Associated Press published an investigation detailing the claims backlog at the program, which provides a nearly $450,000 one-time payment to the families of deceased and disabled officers and firefighters in addition to education benefits.

The AP found dozens of families are waiting five years or more to learn whether they qualify for the life-changing payments, and more are being denied. As of late April, nearly 900 claims had been pending for more than one year, more than triple the number from five years ago, with a small number languishing for a decade.

Grassley cited a Government Accountability Office report issued last year that detailed deficiencies in the program’s management dating back to 2009. He said the program had failed to make changes recommended by outside reviewers but that “government bureaucrats” such as Janke have never been held accountable.

Janke has not responded to AP emails seeking comment, including one Tuesday. A request for comment to the DOJ wasn’t immediately returned.

DOJ officials said earlier this year that they are adopting several recommendations from the GAO, including improvements to make the program’s electronic claims management system more user-friendly. They say they are responding to a surge of claims after Congress has made more categories of deaths and injuries eligible for benefits.

Grassley demanded the DOJ provide updates and documents within two weeks related to the status of those changes.

Texas widow Lisa Afolayan, who is still fighting the program for benefits 16 years after her husband died while training for the Border Patrol, welcomed Grassley’s oversight of the program.

“We need movement. We need change and not only for my family,” she said. “They’ve lost sight of why the program was started.”

Foley writes for the Associated Press.

Budget airline Ryanair has scathed a cluster of European countries in what it describes as a ‘scandal’ of understaffing and mismanagement responsible for thousands of delayed flights

Ryanair has unleashed a savage attack on five European countries, including the UK, over thousands of delayed flights. The budget airline has slammed France, Spain, Germany, Greece, and the UK for having the ‘worst’ Air Traffic Control (ATC) delays in 2024, based on Eurocontrol data.

It is a drum Ryanair has long banged, and comes shortly after it published its name-and-shame ‘ATC League of Delays’. ATC delays can be caused by a plethora of reasons, including unavoidable factors such as the weather or military activity.

However, Ryanair argues a huge ‘majority’ of these delays are directly caused by understaffed airports and ‘mismanaged ATCs’. “Despite 20 years of investment in SESAR (Europe’s failed ‘Single Sky Project’) no progress has been made,” the airline fumed.

“The new Commission under Ursula von der Leyen has committed itself to delivering competitiveness and efficiency in Europe. Yet, it continues to allow the mismanagement and staff shortages in French, Spanish, German, Greek and UK ATC services.”

READ MORE: Brits start ‘snubbing’ Spain and head to sizzling 38C tourist hotspot instead

According to Ryanair’s latest press release, in 2024, France experienced a staggering 35,1000 flight delays – impacting some 6.3 million passengers. Spain came a close second, with 32,700 delayed flights affecting 5.9 million passengers. Germany (18,700 delayed flights), Greece (5,000), and the UK (3,380) were also cited in the top five worst ATCs.

“If the Danes, the Belgians, the Dutch, the Irish and the Slovakians can properly staff their ATC services and eliminate ‘ATC capacity’ delays, then why can’t we expect a similar service from the very well-funded (by airlines), but hopelessly mismanaged French, Spanish, German, Greek and UK ATC providers,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said. “The difference is that these are protected State Monopolies, who don’t care about customer service.

“They don’t care about passengers, and they don’t care about their airline customers either. Every year they are short-staffed and they are responsible for over 90 per cent of Europe’s flight delays, which adds an extra 10 per cent to aviation emissions in Europe.”

The boss described the data as a ‘scandal’ of short-staffing and mismanagement, arguing it is now time for the European Commission to ‘intervene and demand an efficient, competitive ATC service’ from all of Europe. “Ryanair, our customers, and our passengers are fed up with these avoidable ATC delays, which are imposed on us every Summer by the French, the Germans, the Spanish, the Greeks and the British,” he added.

Christian Petzold a travel expert and Marketing Director over at BCN Travel, echoed Ryanair’s sentiment – arguing ATC delays continue to ‘frustrate’ both passengers and airlines every summer. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, he said: “Ryanair are right to point out the contrast with high-performing ATC services in countries like Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Slovakia.

“These countries have managed to staff their control centres and keep operations smooth even in peak summer. For example the Irish Aviation Authority is consistently one of the best for punctuality and minimal en-route delays, due to proactive recruitment and training pipelines for air traffic controllers. In contrast strikes, understaffing and bureaucratic inertia cripple ATC in France and Germany – two of the busiest airspaces in Europe.”

Christian added that the European Commission must take “action and demand accountability” as well as push for competition. Otherwise, passengers will see no ‘real change’ in European aviation.

The Mirror has approached the European Commission for comment.

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Ryanair has singled out the UK as among the worst countries in Europe for air traffic control-caused flight delays – as the airline demanded the European Commission take action

Ryanair has launched a withering attack on air traffic control delays in the UK and a number of other countries.

Boss Michael O’Leary claimed a “scandal” of short staffing and mismanagement had caused widespread disruption for the airline and passengers. He singled out air traffic control in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Greece.

Mr O’Leary said it “can no longer be tolerated”, as he called on the European Commission to intervene.

Ryanair stepped up its attack by comparing the five countries with five others with, it said, the best track record on delays. The Irish airline said 3,380 of its flights last year were impacted by delays on UK air traffic control, soaring to 35,100 in France. Yet that compared with just 210 in Slovakia that had delays, and only 70 in Ireland.

Mr O’Leary branded operators in France, Spain, Germany, Greece and the UK “hopelessly mismanaged”. He went on: “The difference is that these are protected state monopolies, who don’t care about customer service, they don’t care about passengers, and they don’t care about their airline customers either. Every year they are short-staffed and they are responsible for over 90% of Europe’s flight delays, which adds an extra 10% to aviation emissions in Europe.

Mr O’Leary added: “Ryanair, our customers, and our passengers are fed up with these avoidable ATC delays, which are imposed on us every Summer by the French, the Germans, the Spanish, the Greeks and the British. All that is necessary to properly manage their ATC service is to recruit and train sufficient air traffic controllers, just as the Irish, the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians and the Slovakians have already shown.

“It is time for this European mismanagement and incompetence to end, or for ATC services of France, Germany, Spain, Greece, and the UK to be opened up to the competition.”

Ryanair last week issued a warning to holidaymakers after travel chaos at several airports in Portugal meant that hundreds were left stranded at departure gates. The budget airline said more than 270 passengers have missed their flights over the past two weeks due to extensive queues and chronic understaffing at border control.

The worst delays are being felt in Faro, Lisbon and Porto airports, with wait times reportedly stretching to a staggering two and a half hours. In a statement, Ryanair called the situation as “completely unacceptable”, calling on Portugal’s new government to sort out the staffing crisis.

Ryanair placed the blame with airport operator ANA, accusing it of failing to prepare adequately for the annual summer travel surge.

PASSENGERS could enjoy quicker journeys and fewer delays under the first shake-up of flight paths in 70 years.

Ministers have ordered an overhaul of UK airspace to create more direct routes.

The review could also let planes climb into the sky quicker to reduce the noise for communities below.

In the long-term, the government says the redesign would even create the necessary airspace for the “flying taxis” of the future to operate.

Britain’s flightpaths have not been changed since the 1950s when there were just 200,000 flights per year, compared with 2.7million in 2024.

It has resulted in flight congestion that often forces planes to circle overhead before landing, causing frustration to passengers as well as more emissions.

A new UK Airspace Design Service will be up and running by the end of the year, and will first focus on re-carving London’s flightpaths in anticipation of a third Heathrow runway.

Transport Minister Mike Kane said: “Redesigned ‘skyways’ will turbocharge growth in the aviation industry.

“Not least by boosting airport expansion plans and supporting job creation, driving millions into the UK economy as part of the Plan for Change.

“Modernising our airspace is also one of the simplest ways to help reduce pollution from flying and will set the industry up for a long-term sustainable future.”

Tim Alderslade of Airlines UK added: “Modernising UK airspace is long overdue.

“These changes will help to speed up a programme that will provide tangible reforms, from a reduction in delays, improved resilience and lower carbon emissions.”

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California Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán urged the Federal Communications Commission on Monday to follow through on plans to modernize the federal emergency alert system and provide multilingual alerts in natural disasters for residents who speak a language other than English at home.

The call comes nearly five months after deadly fires in Los Angeles threatened communities with a high proportion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — some with limited English proficiency — highlighting the need for multilingual alerts.

In a letter sent to Brendan Carr, the Republican chair of the FCC, Barragán (D-San Pedro) expressed “deep concern” that the FCC under the Trump administration has delayed enabling multilingual Wireless Emergency Alerts for severe natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis.

“This is about saving lives,” Barragán said in an interview with The Times. “You’ve got about 68 million Americans that use a language other than English and everybody should have the ability to to understand these emergency alerts. We shouldn’t be looking at any politicization of alerts — certainly not because someone’s an immigrant or they don’t know English.”

Multilingual emergency alerts should be in place across the nation, Barragán said. But the January Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires served as a reminder that the need is particularly acute in Los Angeles.

Not only does L.A. have a significant risk of wildfires, flooding, mudslides, and earthquakes, but the sprawling region is home to a diverse immigrant population, some of whom have limited English proficiency.

“When you think about it, in California we have wildfires, we’re always on earthquake alert,” Barragán said. “In other parts of the country, it could be hurricanes or tornadoes — we just want people to have the information on what to do.”

Four months ago, the FCC was supposed to publish an order that would allow Americans to get multilingual alerts

In October 2023, the FCC approved rules to update the federal emergency alert system by enabling Wireless Emergency Alerts to be delivered in more than a dozen languages — not just English, Spanish and sign language — without the need of a translator.

Then, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau developed templates for critical disaster alerts in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the US. In January, the commission declared a “major step forward” in expanding alert languages when it issued a report and order that would require commercial mobile service providers to install templates on cellphones within 30 months of publication of the federal register.

“The language you speak shouldn’t keep you from receiving the information you or your family need to stay safe,” then-FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a January statement.

But shortly after, Trump took control of the White House. Under the chairmanship of Brendan Carr, the commission has yet to publish the January 8 Report and Order in the Federal Register — a critical step that triggers the 30-month compliance clock.

“This delay is not only indefensible but dangerous,” Barragán wrote in a letter to Carr that was signed by nearly two dozen members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus. “It directly jeopardizes the ability of our communities to receive life-saving emergency information in the language they understand best.”

Barragán noted that Carr previously supported the push for multilingual alerts when he was a member of the commission, before taking over leadership.

“Your failure to complete this ministerial step — despite having supported the rule itself — has left this life-saving policy in limbo and significantly delayed access to multilingual alerts for millions of Americans,” she wrote.

Asked by The Times what explained the delay, Barragán said her office had been told that Trump’s regulatory freeze prohibited all federal agencies, including the FCC, from publishing any rule in the Federal Register until a designated Trump official is able to review and approve it.

“It’s all politics,” she said. “We don’t know why it’s stuck there and why the administration hasn’t moved forward, but it seems, like, with everything these days, they’re waiting on the president’s green light.”

Barragán also noted that multilingual alerts helped first responders.

“If you have a community that’s supposed to be evacuated, and they’re not evacuating because they don’t know they’re supposed to evacuate, that’s only going to hurt first responders and emergency crews,” she said. “So I think this is a safety issue all around, not just for the people receiving it.”

A study published earlier this year by UCLA researchers and the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Equity Alliance found that Asian communities in harm’s way during the January L.A. fires encountered difficulties accessing information about emergency evacuations because of language barriers.

Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance, a coalition of 50 community-based groups that serves the 1.6 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who live in Los Angeles, told The Times the FCC’s failure to push alerts in more languages represented a “real dereliction of duty.”

Over half a million Asian Americans across L.A. County are classified as Limited English Proficiency, with many speaking primarily in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese, she noted.

“President Trump and many members of his administration have made clear they plan to go on the attack against immigrants,” Kulkarni said. “If this makes the lives of immigrants easier, then they will stand in its way.”

During the January L.A. fires, Kulkarni said, residents complained that fire alerts were sent only in English and Spanish. More than 12,000 of the 50,000 Asian immigrants and their descendants who lived within four evacuation zones — Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Hughes — need language assistance.

“There were community members who didn’t realize until they were evacuated that the fire was so close to them, so they had little to no notice of it,” Kulkarni said. “Really, it can mean life or death in a lot of cases where you don’t get the information, where it’s not translated in a city and county like Los Angeles.”

Community members ended up suffering not just because of the fires themselves, Kulkarni said, but because of federal and local officials’ failure to provide alerts in languages every resident can understand.

“It is incumbent that the alerts be made available,” she said. “We need those at local, state and federal levels to do their part so that individuals can survive catastrophic incidents.”

Bank holiday traffic is expected to be heavy this weekend, particularly along the usual hotspots of the M25 around London and all routes to the Southwest of England

Bank holiday traffic is expected to be worst today – and UK airports are anticipated to experience their busiest day for departures so far this year.

Transport analysts predict roads will be congested today with many drivers taking an extra day off before the long weekend and half-term break for most schools in England and Wales. The RAC said an extra 3.4million car trips for leisure would be made today, while the AA said the total number of cars on the road would top 20million.

The M25 around London and all routes to the Southwest of England, such as the M5, are anticipated to be among the busiest roads. However, engineering work is expected on some railways this weekend, including the West Coast Mainline, and so more cars will be on roads as a result.

READ MORE: Tiny UK village 50 miles from capital where London Underground once stopped

Motorists are likely to experience delays on the A30 or A303 westbound or the M5 southbound towards Devon and Cornwall, where journeys could take up to an hour more than usual this weekend.

Those driving this afternoon or on Saturday may dodge some queues, as the majority of motorists surveyed said they expect to hit the road this morning. However, return journeys, especially from coastal areas, are anticipated at various times across Friday May 30, so drivers should allow for extra time for their jaunts.

But the unsettled weather could dampen the traffic over the bank holiday weekend. The Met Office says it will be rainy in places, including across the Northwest of England on Saturday and most of Scotland on Sunday.

Disruption, though, is expected on two major rail routes out of London over the next few days. There will be no trains between London St Pancras and Bedford on Saturday or Sunday, affecting East Midlands Railway and Thameslink services, including services to Luton Airport. A reduced service will operate on Britain’s busiest rail route, the West Coast Mainline, from today until next Friday, affecting Avanti intercity trains from London Euston to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry services will also be affected.

More than 3,200 flights will take off at UK airports today, making it the busiest for departures so far in 2025. Over the next four days some 12,185 departing flights are scheduled, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium, carrying up to 2.2 million passengers.

No disruption at airports has been reported as yet today, though results of a survey published last month identified Gatwick Airport as the worst in the UK for flight delays. Air traffic control (ATC) chaos meant departures from the West Sussex airport were an average of more than 23 minutes behind schedule in 2024, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data.

Play in the third round of the US PGA Championship has been delayed because of thunder at Quail Hollow.

These scheduled tee times will be affected as a result.

13:15 Max Greyserman (US), Sam Burns (US)

13:25 Rory McIlroy (NI), Xander Schauffele (US)

13:35 Michael Kim (US), Chris Kirk (US)

13:45 David Puig (Spa), Bud Cauley (US)

13:55 Elvis Smylie (Aus), Kevin Yu (Tai)

14:05 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Brian Harman (US)

14:15 Justin Lower (US), Tom Kim (Kor)

14:25 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Maverick McNealy (US)

14:35 Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)

14:45 Nico Echavarria (Col), Harris English (US)

14:55 Brian Campbell (US), Taylor Moore (US)

15:15 Cameron Young (US), Daniel Berger (US)

15:25 Byeong Hun An (Kor), Collin Morikawa (US)

15:35 Harry Hall (Eng), Austin Eckroat (US)

15:45 Corey Conners (Can), Nicolai Hojgaard (Den)

15:55 Beau Hossler (US), Luke Donald (Eng)

16:05 Matt Wallace (Eng), Tom McKibbin (NI)

16:15 Wyndham Clark (US), Rafael Campos (Pur)

16:25 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)

16:35 Marco Penge (Eng), Lucas Glover (US)

16:45 Jon Rahm (Spa), Keegan Bradley (US)

16:55 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

17:15 Adam Scott (Aus), Joe Highsmith (US)

17:25 Eric Cole (US), Cam Davis (Aus)

17:35 Tony Finau (US), Ben Griffin (US)

17:45 Alex Noren (Swe), Ryo Hisatsune (Jpn)

17:55 Richard Bland (Eng), Davis Riley (US)

18:05 Taylor Pendrith (Can), Bryson DeChambeau (US)

18:15 JJ Spaun (US), Aaron Rai (Eng)

18:25 Ryan Gerard (US), Garrick Higgo (SA)

18:35 Sam Stevens (US), Denny McCarthy (US)

18:45 JT Poston (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco)

19:05 Ryan Fox (NZ), Alex Smalley (US)

19:15 Michael Thorbjornsen (US), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA)

19:25 Max Homa (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

19:35 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Kim Si-woo (Kor)

19:45 Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Matthieu Pavon (Fra)