Dutch airline Transavia has reportedly scrapped 124 flights, amounting to around 20.000 seats, that were set to depart Rotterdam The Hague Airport this summer. Slot coordinator Hugo Thomassen of Airport Coordination Netherlands told De Telegraaf that flights could be cancelled up to the end of October 2024.
Initially, Transavia had been hoping to only cut its flight schedule up to the end of June 2024, with the flight timetable returning to normal around the peak of the summer holidays in the Netherlands. Now, things look set to change, with slot coordinator Thomassen confirming to De Telegraaf that scheduled flights are being scrapped as far ahead as October 2024.
According to Transavia, the cutting of flights is related to a number of “commercial and operational” adjustments to factor in major equipment maintenance, among other issues. “Our biggest priority is a stable operation. By taking measures as quickly as possible, we minimise the impact on passengers and employees,” a spokesperson told the newspaper. “Because we intervene in time, we, together with our partners, manage to find an alternative for almost all passengers affected.”
Transavia was already forced to scrap flights from its schedule for April, May and June 2024, due to delays in its aircraft maintenance. Several aircraft had to remain in the Czech Republic and Turkey for longer-than-planned maintenance.
The airline is also affected by changes coming up at the Netherlands’ main airport, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The main change affecting Transavia from here is the airport’s plan to ban night flights - a policy set to make a major dent in Transavia’s low-cost business model.
Thumb image credit: Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock.com