OPINION - The Standard View: Travel chaos cannot go on for ever

Since Covid-19 struck, the words “travel” and “chaos” have become almost inseparable. Last year it was driven by red lists, testing requirements and border closures. Today, the issue is staffing.

As travel restrictions were imposed in Britain and around the world, airlines and airports laid off workers in vast numbers, despite the provision of furlough support.

As the world returns to normal — or at least the new normal — international travel has come roaring back. Yet the industry appears to have been caught off guard and is ill-prepared for this predictable surge in demand.

At present, passengers must run the gauntlet: from waiting in multi-hour security lines that snake outside of terminal doors to having their flight cancelled even as they sit on the tarmac. And as we approach the bank holiday proper, things are only likely to deteriorate.

Airlines are expected to cancel hundreds of flights over the next 10 days, throwing the travel plans of thousands of holidaymakers into doubt, many of whom this would be their first foreign holiday in years. The solution is more staff, from cabin crew to baggage handlers. But new employees cannot be trained overnight and for understandable reasons, airport workers must pass safety checks which can take months.

Added to this is the general turmoil in the labour market post-Covid, not helped by Brexit which requires employers to jump through many further hoops to hire EU nationals from abroad.

Having contributed to this mess, the Government must bang heads together and find ways to safely cut red tape. And at the very least, the airlines must also live up to their legal responsibilities by informing passengers of their rights, including to travel on the next available flight, should their plane be cancelled

Poorest hit hardest

The Office for National Statistics may not have identified evidence that the price of the cheapest food products is rising faster than average, but that is scant consolation for those on the lowest incomes.

The “experimental analysis” was undertaken on the urging of food writer and anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe. Yet this is not some repudiation of Monroe’s broader work.

The poorest still face a higher inflation rate across the board than the richest due to soaring energy costs. While those shopping for mid-range brands can always switch to basics to combat inflation, that avenue is closed to those already in that aisle.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s recent intervention will help millions of families, but such is the scale of the cost of living crisis that he is likely to have to return in the near future to provide further assistance.

Tube map masterpiece

The Elizabeth line wasn’t only an engineering challenge, but a map design one as well. In our interview with Jon Hunter, head of design at Transport for London, he illustrates just how much time and care went into the latest iteration.

The new line led to the first complete redraw of Harry Beck’s masterpiece in 20 years. From the original 212 stations with no fare zones to today’s 510 stations and 11 fare zones, the map is still doing its job of helping people get about in London — and doing it in style.