We must continue to switch mail to the skies

Mick Linsell Royal Mail

The company says speed restrictions imposed on large sections of rail track following the Hatfield train crash has severely hampered its delivery.

Mick Linsell, managing director of Royal Mail's delivery service, said the air operation would be running at maximum capacity.

"We have organised the largest possible number of extra flights and we are also using some larger aircraft," he said.

"The difficulties with rail transportation continue and there are still significant delays which mean that, to give our customers as much reliability as possible, we must continue to switch mail to the skies."

The last recommended posting days for Christmas mail are 18 December for second class post and 21 December for first class.

"The fact remains we still have dependency on rail and our advice to customers therefore must be that they should post well ahead of the recommended dates if they possibly can," Mr Linsell said.

Posting dates

First Class: 21 December Second Class: 18 December

The Post Office's managing director Richard Dykes said rail disruption had badly affected the company's quality of service.

"Nearly all our railway routes now are being heavily disrupted every night," he said.

"It means we can't get the mail out to delivery offices in time."

He said in the run up to Christmas there was not likely to be any improvement.

"We will have to ask people to post as early as they possibly can," he said.