The co-pilot was declared a “hero” after loading his luggage on a delayed flight so that he could finally take off. Passenger Jenny Cook said he was applauded by passengers after he was filmed pulling suitcases on a plane to Crete from Manchester airport.
This comes as more than 30,000 TUI passengers will have their flights canceled at Manchester Airport to deal with staff shortages.
Ms Cook called on the pilot, named Simon, to receive an “award for excellence” after lifting suitcases on the conveyor belt under the plane on Monday. She told the BBC: “The next thing we found out we were paying taxes on the track.
READ MOREMore than 30,000 TUI passengers will be canceled at Manchester Airport “by the end of today”
“We all applauded. Simon had surpassed everything.”
Passenger Catherine Cox of Warrington said: “The crew and pilot during the flight were amazing. Simon was the hero of our holiday. We would have missed our air traffic control slot.”
The footage shows the TUI pilot wearing a vest while helping to tow luggage on the plane.
TUI said the co-pilot’s efforts showed the “incredible dedication” of his staff, who do “everything in their power” to lift customers into the air during their breaks. They added that “they cannot thank him enough” for his “quick and decisive action”.
A spokesman said: “We are aware of videos shared on social media showing one of our amazing TUI pilots supporting our operation by loading bags on one of our planes traveling to Crete from Manchester on May 30, 2022.
“While not something our pilots usually do, this video is an example of the incredible dedication of TUI colleagues who are doing their best to get customers out during the holidays. We cannot thank him enough for his quick and decisive actions, and we would like to thank all our teams who continue to demonstrate their hard work and dedication to TUI and its customers.
“We understand that we have disappointed some customers with the recent break, but we would like to assure them that we are doing everything we can to get them out during the holidays.”
Manchester Airport Group (MAG) said TUI and the designated terrestrial operator Swissport had experienced “significant challenges” in recent days, adding that it was clear that they were “experiencing temporary staffing problems”.
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A spokesman for Manchester Airport said: “In the last few days, TUI and its designated land operator, Swissport, have faced significant challenges with their check-in and baggage retrieval operations at Manchester Airport. Extensive discussions with the management teams of TUI and Swissport show that they are experiencing a temporary shortage of staff, as well as other aviation and tourism companies.
“Given these challenges, we understand TUI’s difficult decision to cancel a number of services next month, although we are clearly disappointed to see that passengers’ plans have been disrupted in this way. We will continue to work with TUI, Swissport and other partners to provide passengers with the best possible service, as the tourism sector recovers in full force after the pandemic.
“In the meantime, we continue to advise passengers to arrive three hours before their flight and to be as prepared as possible for their journey through the airport.
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