If the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 witnessed deserted airports, the year 2022 has seen the polar opposite of it. Images of airports being flooded by tourists and luggage being piled on have surfaced on social media. This goes on to show how the airports around the world were underprepared to handle the surge in travel and tourism two years after the lockdown. With the summer vacation season, the crowds at airports have only increased, and there have been reports of people missing their flights even if they reach hours in advance. From Dublin airport in Ireland to Heathrow airport in England, images of chaos and crowds seem to be omnipresent.
Dublin airport, 3am yesterday. Chaos.
I bet the Irish regret leaving the EU now.
Oh.. wait… pic.twitter.com/sJ7UKDv1bp
— Jonathan Nicholas (@JonathanNichol4) July 15, 2022
According to CNN, seven of the world’s top ten airports for delays this summer, ranked by the percentage of scheduled flights delayed, are in Europe. Data compiled by CNN Travel shows that airports in Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and London are seeing the most significant delays. To curb the rise in crowds, London’s Heathrow Airport also went on to ask airlines to stop selling tickets for outbound travel this summer.
🇬🇧 Airport madness. Heathrow and British Airways have no staff. pic.twitter.com/XU1MRsAOpv
— Janey (@_Janey_J) July 12, 2022
Heathrow 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/l1S4xEe3RY
— eatlovepray21 (@eatlovepray211) July 15, 2022
Meanwhile, in North America, 52.5% of scheduled flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada have been delayed this summer. Toronto Pearson also ranks number 4 for flight cancellations globally, with 6.5% of its flights cancelled during that period, reported CNN. However, things seem to be much calmer in the US. Only one of the US airports made the top 10 on the global delays list: Orlando International Airport in Florida.
Far away from the west, it is China’s Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport in Guangdong Province that has ranked number one in the world for cancellations this summer. Data compiled for CNN Travel by flight tracking site FlightAware has reported that nearly eight per cent of flights were cancelled at the airport. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in China are also ranked in the top 10.
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