Holidaymakers face more chaos with flights from Manchester Airport cancelled over Jubilee weekend

Holidaymakers flying from Manchester Airport are facing more chaos with flights cancelled over the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

It comes after the holiday firm Tui slashed its flight schedule across the UK to tackle staff shortages and 'ongoing disruption.'

The company announced they would be cutting six flights a day, 186 in total, from Manchester - an already under pressure airport - between May 31 and June 30.

More than 30,000 TUI passengers due to fly from Manchester over the next month received a crushing text at around 2am on Wednesday morning.

Among frustrated passengers is the owner of a burger van in Manchester who has publicly vented her emotions after her summer holiday was cancelled by Tui.

Virginia Hulston, who owns Couch Potato, on Oxford Road was supposed to be flying to Turkey from Manchester Airport on Monday - but received the crushing text from Tui.

A sign hung up on her van said: "We are open next week due to TUI cancelling my holiday. Thanks, not."

"I was very annoyed this morning", she said. "We were planning to close for just short of two weeks, but now we won’t be."

TUI say they have taken the step, which will decimate half-term and summer plans for around 34,000 people, in a bid to help resolve the 'issues' which have caused flight delays, cancellations and baggage problems in recent days.

EasyJet and British Airways have also cancelled flights.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has demanded a meeting with airports and airlines to explain the chaos which had ruined people's holiday plans.

He claimed travel firms have “seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver”.

Dominic Raab told ITV News Mr Shapps had been "counselling and engaging" with the travel sector about the need to hire staff to cope with the post-Covid holiday resurgence.

Dominic Raab blames the travel companies for not heeding advice from the Department of Transport.

Thousands of aviation employees across the UK were laid off during the pandemic as restrictions meant many people did not want to travel overseas.

The government insists the aviation industry is “responsible for making sure they have enough staff”.

"I think it's clear that there's been a lack of planning and a lack of preparation for the resurgent demand that was not just predictable, but predicted," Mr Raab tod ITV News.

Hundreds of other holidaymakers have taken to social media to complain about their own trips being cancelled by the travel firm.

Among disappointed travellers is Councillor Pat Karney, who was was told at 02:30 this morning that his TUI flight was cancelled. He said it is devastating for heartbroken families.

Tom Jones and his brother have been in Spain since Saturday, 28 May, and their bags are still in Manchester.

They have spent around 12 hours on the phone to try to get their luggage back.

In a statement on Tuesday, 31 May, TUI said: “We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight delays and cancellations in recent days and understand that many of our customers have been looking forward to their holiday with us for a long time.

"Due to the amount of on-going disruption in our operation at Manchester Airport, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to cancel six flights a day (43 flights a week), from Tuesday, May 31, until Thursday, June 30.

"All other airports in the UK are planned to operate as normal.

"We understand how disappointing this will be for those impacted; however, we believe this is necessary to provide stability and a better customer service at Manchester Airport."

The statement went on to say: "We will continue to work closely with all our airport partners and suppliers so we can provide the best possible holiday experience for our customers."

They said customers affected would receive a full refund for their holiday as well as an ‘extra gesture of goodwill’.

Customers impacted in the next 14 days will also receive information on how to apply for compensation in line with regulations.

They added: "We would like to reassure our customers that cancellations of this nature are extremely rare and would like to thank them for their patience and understanding."

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