THE problems facing international travellers are “self-inflicted,” the London mayor warned on Saturday, calling on ministers to reopen jobs to EU workers to avoid a summer of travel “misery.”

Air passengers have faced days of disruption at Britain’s airports, with a total of 20 flights listed as cancelled at Gatwick airport on Saturday, while 17 were marked as delayed.

Sadiq Khan tried to blame Brexit, telling BBC’s Sunday Morning: “What we don’t want is a spring misery turned into a summer misery.

“Many families who have saved, who have paid for a holiday and are looking forward to a holiday are going to be let down.

“What you can do very easily is make sure those who were in those jobs before, who have gone back to their country of origin, from the EU, are encouraged to come back.

“This is self-inflicted from the government. It isn’t about Covid, this is about Brexit plus Covid.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has said airlines caused the problem through laying off workers during the pandemic to boost corporate profits.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps rejected calls to open the door to more foreign workers to relieve pressure on the aviation sector.

He said it is up to the sector to fix the issues, accusing bosses of “cutting too far” during the pandemic, despite receiving £8 billion of state support and having access to furlough money.

Law expert Lisa Webb at Which? said: “The shameful scenes at UK airports this half-term are the result of an industry in which some airlines feel they can get away with ignoring consumer rights and acting with near impunity.”

Ms Webb called on the government to drop plans to cut compensation for delayed and cancelled flights and the Civil Aviation Authority to be given the power to issue direct fines so it can “hold airlines to account when they flout the law.”