Since the resumption of international travel, many airlines have caught flak for cancellations, delays and sudden itinerary changes.
While AirAsia has been the subject of much social media uproar in Malaysia for their unexpected schedule changes, international carriers like Europe’s RyanAir and EasyJet have been roundly criticised for sudden cancellations across the continent.
After months of customer outrage, EasyJet’s chief operating officer resigned recently.
“Trust (in the airlines) is thinning, and it will be very, very hard to fix,” said veteran transport consultant Rosli Azad Khan, who lamented the lack of stringent regulations that once defined the aviation industry.
Looser rules allowed the rise of low-cost airlines but also led to business practices that are now resulting in widespread disruptions, like airlines selling tickets for flights without guaranteeing they have planes to service the route.
Although disruptions have not been limited to budget carriers, Rosli said that full-service airlines tend to have a more fixed schedule – even if that means carrying fewer passengers on board – whereas low-cost airlines are more willing to modify their schedules to ensure efficient routes.
“If low-cost airlines cannot be trusted, eventually, there won’t be much demand for their services left,” he told FMT.
“This has happened in many countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, China and the Philippines where low cost airlines are operating.
“Full-service airlines are making a big comeback, their services are more in demand now and this will continue into the future. That’s where the future is, not in low-cost.”
Worker shortages across the industry
Roger Teoh, a researcher at the Imperial College Centre for Transport Studies, disagreed. He said the disruptions “haven’t been constrained to budget airlines,” naming British Airways and Lufthansa as examples of full-service carriers that have also faced issues.
“I don’t think budget airlines will become less prominent as a result of cancellations as this is an industry-wide disruption spanning across the globe,” he said, one primarily caused by the widespread layoffs that have left the whole ecosystem shorthanded.
Airlines were not solely to blame for overscheduled flights or overestimating their operating capacity, he said. A shortage in baggage handlers would mean longer loading and unloading times, leading to a snowball effect of subsequent delays.
To rebuild customer trust, he suggested that airlines get ahead of the problem and announce cancellations well in advance, as did British Airways, which recently announced it would axe 10,000 flights up to the end of October to ensure it could more reliably service the remainder.
For prospective travellers, Teoh advised flying in the morning as later flights are more likely to be affected by a backlog of delayed flights built up over the day. Packing light and avoiding the need for checked-in baggage would also help to avoid the lengthy waits at the carousel seen in various parts of the world.
Suresh Singam, the chairman of the Board of Airline Representatives Malaysia, said that many of the disruptions being experienced are beyond the control of airlines. Many had difficulty in attracting retrenched workers to return.
He said customers should know that the situation is only temporary.
He urged airlines to provide effective and appropriate customer care to regain the trust of travellers. Airlines should keep passengers informed about disruptions, provide assistance and support during delays and put them on alternative flights as quickly as possible.
“All airlines have a duty to their customers to ensure that everyone is able to get to where they are going with minimal disruption,” he said.