EasyJet Grounds 1,700 Flights This Summer
EasyJet has scrapped a whopping 1,700 flights this July, August, and September at Gatwick Airport. The low-cost giant blames restricted European airspace and ongoing air traffic control chaos for the mass cancellations. With schools in England and Wales calling time for summer, the timing couldn’t be worse for holidaymakers.
But don’t panic just yet — EasyJet says 95% of affected passengers have already been rebooked onto alternative flights. Still, the cancellations represent about a full day’s worth of flights, though EasyJet plans to keep around 90,000 journeys flying during the summer months.
Airspace Crunch & Strikes Adding to Travel Mayhem
The airline paints a grim picture of this summer’s skies, linking the disruption to the closure of Ukrainian airspace over Russia’s conflict, causing congestion across European routes. On top of that, planned strikes by air traffic controllers could pile more misery onto travellers.
To battle the turbulence, EasyJet has merged some of its flights at Gatwick, where it runs multiple daily services, trying to ease disruptions on travel days. Customers hit by cancellations will be informed swiftly and offered quick rebooking or full refunds.
United Utilities Strikes £1.8bn Pension Deal With Legal & General
In finance news, FTSE-100 water giant United Utilities has agreed to a massive £1.8 billion pension risk transfer with Legal & General. The move covers part of its pension liabilities amid growing scrutiny of the water sector’s financial strength.
Serving over seven million customers in northwest England, United Utilities joins a growing list of firms handing over pension obligations to specialists like L&G, Aviva, and Pension Insurance Corporation.
The company is set to announce the deal officially on Monday, highlighting its rock-solid balance sheet and fully funded pension scheme.
