Travellers faced disruption across Italy on Wednesday 8 June as air traffic controllers went on strike and unions also called out workers from budget airlines on four-hour stoppages, prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
Approximately 360 flights have been cancelled with over 4,000 passengers affected, a spokesperson for the UIL Trasporti union said on Wednesday 8 June.
Passengers across Europe have endured delays and cancellations over the past week as airlines and airports struggle to cope with a rebound in travel at the start of the summer season.
Italian unions FILT-CGIL and UIL Trasporti called a four-hour strike starting from 0800 GMT for Ryanair workers in Italy, complaining about a cut in pay linked to on-board sales and tough labour conditions at Europe's biggest budget airline.
Pilots and flight attendants of easyJet were also striking from 1100 to 1500 GMT.
Ryanair denied that any of its crew had joined in the strikes in Italy but added that it had cancelled a number of flights because of action by air traffic controllers in northern and central Italy.
"These ATC (air traffic control) strikes are completely beyond our control and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience they will inevitably cause," Ryanair said in a statement.
Flight controllers from Italy's ENAV walked out for 12 hours on Wednesday. EasyJet also blamed the controllers for disruption to its schedules.
"Around 24 flights to and from the UK have been cancelled in advance to mitigate the impact on customers’ plans today and provide the option to rebook before travelling to the airport," easyJet said in a statement,
Italy's ITA Airways had re-routed approximately 99% of its passengers to avoid the strike, the airline said in a statement.
Ryanair ranked first for the number of passengers travelling to and from Italy last year as Alitalia shrunk its network before handing over to smaller successor ITA.
Flights Cancelled In Italy As Workers At Low-Cost Carriers Strike
The above news followed news that travellers faced disruption across Italy on Wednesday 8 June as crews from Ryanair RYA.I, easyJet EZJ.L and Volotea went on strike, coinciding with a stoppage by air traffic controllers and prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
Around 360 flights have been cancelled with over 4,000 passengers involved, a spokesperson for the UIL Trasporti union said on Wednesday 8 June.
Unions FILT-CGIL and UIL Trasporti called a four-hour strike starting from 0800 GMT for Ryanair workers in Italy, complaining about a cut in pay linked to on-board sales and tough labour conditions at Europe's biggest budget airline. Read full story
Pilots and flight attendants of easyJet were also striking from 1100 to 1500 GMT.
To cope with another strike called by ENAV ENAV.MI flight controllers on Wednesday, Italy's ITA Airways has re-routed approximately 99% of its passengers, the airline said in a statement.
Passengers across Europe have faced delays and cancellations over the past week as airlines and airports struggle to cope with a rebound in travel at the start of the summer season.
Ryanair ranked first for the number of passengers travelling to and from Italy last year as Alitalia shrunk its network before handing over to smaller ITA Airways.
Workers At France's Charles De Gaulle Airport To Strike
All of the above news followed news that workers at France's main Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris would strike on Thursday 9 June to demand better pay and working conditions, the CGT trade union said, as European airports struggle to deal with a sudden pickup in passenger numbers.
"We demand a 300 euro raise for all," the union said in a statement on Wednesday 8 June, pointing to rising inflation, and working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier on Wednesday 8 June, France Info radio reported the strike would result in the cancellation of a quarter of the airport's flights.
"We were present during the most critical periods linked to COVID and worked in difficult conditions, lack of protection, masks, gel," the union said in the statement, also citing COVID-related layoffs which can weigh operationally.
Europe's aviation sector is looking forward to a peak summer season free of substantial coronavirus restrictions in most countries worldwide for the first time since 2019.
However, airlines and airports are struggling to cope with a rebound in demand with staff shortages leading to cancelled flights and long queues.
In Spain, the government said on Tuesday 7 June that the police would hire 500 more staff to deal with the surge in tourism.
News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
