Leeds Bradford: TUI Airways Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[CM.]

As I’ve been working today I’ve seen swissport are again struggling badly with staff shortages. They were still unloading bags after the departure time on the TUI. And other aircraft such as the KLM have had to wait for ground crew. The Dublin Ryanair is still waiting for ground crew.

 

[White Heather]

As I’ve been working today I’ve seen swissport are again struggling badly with staff shortages. They were still unloading bags after the departure time on the TUI. And other aircraft such as the KLM have had to wait for ground crew. The Dublin Ryanair is still waiting for ground crew.

It's getting a bit ridiculous really. Airlines must be thinking hard about using Swissport but there's nobody else! Was it like this in the days of Servisair?
LBA management must be very concerned too.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

It's getting a bit ridiculous really. Airlines must be thinking hard about using Swissport but there's nobody else! Was it like this in the days of Servisair?
LBA management must be very concerned too.

When I worked at Servisair we did everything except baggage handling. This was done by staff employed directly by the airport. Leading hand was Len Towland (think I got surname right) The only delays caused by Servisair that I recall occurred when the de- icing equipment failed, or when we forgot to plug in the equipment the previous evening to heat the fluid.

 

[Aviador]

Well I'm sorry all you Brexit lovers but had we still been in the EU all these surplus employment vacancies nobody wants to do would've been filled by now by willing EU workers. Just saying!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Would be nice to think there might be some scope for Ukranian refugees to obtain employment at the airport.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Well I'm sorry all you Brexit lovers but had we still been in the EU all these surplus employment vacancies nobody wants to do would've been filled by now by willing EU workers. Just saying!

You can say that, but baggage handlers is nothing to do with Brexit. In fact the majority of staff shortages across the aviation industry are nothing to do with Brexit but rather the ridiculous, over exaggerated, response by world governments, to something no more dangerous than the flu. As much as we want to blame Brexit.

Our useless world governments response with ridiculous travel restrictions, and particularly the useless tosser in charge of Transport and his useless Dulux "traffic light" system made it impossible for airlines to predict as and when the recovery will happen but know it will. Coupled with the fact that the narcissistic chancellor wouldn't come up with a specialised furlough package for the industry as lead to the shortages. For a number of reasons:

- People who were long term 'loyal' staff either left after seeing there is opportunities outside of aviation or were made redundant during S20.
- 2020 never really got recruited for. Those who were in the pipeline have probably moved on and those that were recruited for the Summer and had started were probably furloughed for the fixed term contract were probably laid off in the October of 2020.
- Our narcissistic chancellor refused a specialised furlough package despite cries for help and for this in the industry, the cuts (redundancies) and revised head-counts/budgets probably meant they went harder and harsher then required. Knowing that in their mind by October 2020 they had to make people redundant as the furlough scheme would have ended, initially Oct 2020, alongside the fake news media projecting doom and gloom fake data, meant that it was certain that the recovery wouldn't happen over the winter.
- Again fake news and fake doom/gloom projections into the S21 meant they wouldn't plan the correct numbers. Reduced flying programme etc. Unable to recruit and offer out contracts over winter and have some experienced staff come S22.
- I've heard that the Swissport reputation at LBA is pretty god damn poor. Poor working conditions, poor roster practises, just generally a sh*t organisation to work for. Therefore they are probably struggling to fill numbers as they've gone through the staff who have done the job, left and now put other people off doing the job through word of mouth. Never underestimate the power of "I know someone who did that" or someone in a pub with a pint.
- Requirement for S22 can go ahead but also bear in mind the job isn't for everybody so if someone quits your back to Square 1 and re recruiting/training.
- To obtain an airside pass I've heard is now harder then it's ever been due to new rules within the DFT. This therefore slows the process down to get staff trained and onto the ramp. And therefore the time to really ask if the job is for them.
- The job market is very competitive. Why be paid less then an Amazon Driver or a Bus Driver to load bags in all weather conditions, at all times of day/night, and weekends, with pretty sh*t conditions and not even knowing your rota for 2/3 weeks time?
- It's swissport. Need I say more.

Feel free anyone to add to the list.

 

[Jerry]

You can say that, but baggage handlers is nothing to do with Brexit. In fact the majority of staff shortages across the aviation industry are nothing to do with Brexit but rather the ridiculous, over exaggerated, response by world governments, to something no more dangerous than the flu. As much as we want to blame that.

If the UK was still in the EU then there would still be freedom of movement which makes it easier for companies to fill vacancies and for people to come and live and work in the UK and the UK wouldn't be considered as an unfriendly place to work and live by immigrants from europe so Brexit will be having an effect on the industry trying to fill vacancies created by the pandemic.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Aviation/Ground handling companies are not struggling because of Brexit @Jerry though. If covid hadn't of happened I doubt we would be seeing the staff shortages/struggles we are.

 

[HX3]

Ireland are in the EU and queues at security were out of the terminal at Dublin the other week….

 

[Jerry]

Aviation/Ground handling companies are not struggling because of Brexit @Jerry though. If covid hadn't of happened I doubt we would be seeing the staff shortages/struggles we are.

But covid did happen and Brexit will be hindering companies recruitment efforts because of the removal of freedom of movement.

 

[Jerry]

Ireland are in the EU and queues at security were out of the terminal at Dublin the other week….

And being in the EU will give their companies a bigger labour market pool and less barriers to that labour to solve any staff shortages they have.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

But covid did happen and Brexit will be hindering companies recruitment efforts because of the removal of freedom of movement.

And being in the EU will give their companies a bigger labour market pool and less barriers to that labour to solve any staff shortages they have.

Covid is a major contributor. As I've said, without Covid, the industry would not be facing the shortages currently it is facing. I get people maybe avid remain but you cannot always blame Brexit. It's not a scape goat and a "go to" to blame for everything.

As I've highlighted up there the number of reasons that ground handlers are struggling. I'll ask a question. Would people have moved on from aviation, if you knew the job so well, was experienced within the role, had the "security" was "comfortable" (in life) and had a nice stable roster/income, had covid not come about? Probably not. When people get comfortable in a job they do it becomes routine. Until the comfort blanket is taken off and they suddenly have to look elsewhere. Especially for "job security". Those are the 'loyal' staff.

Brexit is/does not hinder the recruitment process in aviation as much as you'd like to think it does, if at all having any impact particularl. As I've stated with many reasons, covid is the biggest factor and our governments pathetic response for the aviation industry.

Another few reasons:

- It takes approximately 4 weeks to recruit.
- Add in the notice period for employees (let's say on average 4 weeks).
- Training takes approx 2 weeks in which the "airside pass" process is started.
- Airside pass can take anywhere between 4-6/7/8 weeks to get. Depends on the persons 5 year background. It's very very tedious having been through it and at some points annoying and irritating. Especially dealing with a company which "specialises" in this. Then you need an appointment with the airport to get the pass and they go through all the details with a fine tooth comb as you would expect.
- On Job training takes approx 2-3 weeks which can be done whilst the airside pass is been sought.

You're talking 10 weeks from putting job out as an advertisement to getting someone beside the aircraft and that is without an airside pass, another 2 to 3 weeks. So for May your talking February. As I've already stated the airlines/industry didn't know what was happening in February due to the continued fake data and fake news doom and gloom scare mongering. Oh and everything else our and other countries governments wanted re: covid.

And then add in the fact that person may find the 3am starts, followed by 5am start, then an 11am start and a night, then 2 days off and back to it not for them. Resign and bam you are back looking on the market for someone to replace the person you've already recruited for.

Hospitality and struggling to recruit - yes that. That is Brexit.

 

[Jerry]

Would people have moved on from aviation, a job they knew so well and were experienced in, had covid not come about?

Like i said covid happened and having restrictions that gives you less access to labour markets will have an effect on companies ability to recruit.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Like i said covid happened and having restrictions that gives you less access to labour markets will have an effect on companies ability to recruit.

But the labour markets for baggage handlers, for LBA in particular (as its about Swissport @ LBA) , is not Eastern Europeans. Its local people. Brexit is nothing to with the struggling recruitment currently faced by the industry in terms of UK. You may hate Brexit but sometimes you've just got to let by gone's be by gone's and blame something other than Brexit. Getting a bit like the people who are staunch EU fans blaming inflation on Brexit without realising inflation is world wide.

As I've also said stated and given more than enough reasons for, covid happened and that was the result. Not Brexit. We wouldn't be in the mess if covid had not happened. Those fired, those moved on, those loyal and just content with the job, would be more then likely still doing the job. So quite frankly the shortages would be covered by overtime for the staff until they got the numbers.

No matter what company it is; most are struggling to recruit. Some faired better due to them sticking to their ethics and Morales and not sacking everyone in April 2020.

 

[LBA787]

For me it’s a simple case of money and working conditions.

Of the two ground handlers at Leeds I don’t see Jet2 struggling to the point where there are no staff to meet inbound arrivals, load/unload bags or push aircraft back. They must be in dire straights if the reports of them telling late aircraft that they’ve missed their ground handling slot so we’ll be with you in 2 hours!!

This has been coming for a while - swissport have been shafting their staff at all the airports for years. Poor working conditions, poor rostering, and poor wages it eventually catches up with you.

The way I see it, the pandemic has essentially given their long term experienced staff time on furlough or redundancy and they’ve obviously not come back because they’ve retired or seen the light and got better employment elsewhere.

One things for sure, this isn’t going to be a quick fix. I cannot even imagine how difficult and stressful the current conditions are and it wouldn’t surprise me if they may even loose more staff before the recruitment stabilises.

Let’s hope I’m wrong as I have flights out of LBA this summer!

 

[RobT]

Just wondering what all this has to do with TUI

 

[CM.]

Just wondering what all this has to do with TUI

Well firstly we were talking about Swissport shortages in which it affected the TUI flight yesterday. So I think it has got some relevance to TUI.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi all
yesterdays tui from palma had the doncaster pax on,they had a 2hr wait for there luggage then coach ride to dsa arriving some 6hrs late.
sm

 

[dmrodgers]

hi all
yesterdays tui from palma had the doncaster pax on,they had a 2hr wait for there luggage then coach ride to dsa arriving some 6hrs late.
sm

Knowing TUI surprised they didn't go straight to Doncaster and bus the Leeds passengers as they seem to like DSA as opposed LBA. Mind you sounds like 'their' favourite Yorkshire airport didn't have many onboard hence reason it came into Leeds. Could TUI be realising that LBA has far more potential if they put the flights on rather to DSA.

 

[Finger66]

I doubt it not with Cancun also being added from DSA. However maybe wanting to save a little bit of face perhaps without admitting failings