Summer holidays across Europe threatened by air strikes

European vacations may be cut short this summer due to massive strikes and staff shortages across the continent.

UK holidaymakers have faced the nightmare of delays, cancellations and lost luggage at Britain’s busiest airports in recent weeks.

More trouble is expected after British Airways staff at Heathrow airport have decided to start a pay dispute.

Roughly 700 workers quit their jobs between July and September after the airline failed to take the 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic.

But the UK is not alone in facing these problems. In France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia, workers are considering whether they have voted to strike over wages and conditions.

Staff shortages are also causing delays and baggage problems in other popular destinations such as Bucharest and Portugal.

Thousands of British passengers will be affected by the turmoil affecting major airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair.

EasyJet employees in Spain will strike in July from 1 to 3, from 15 to 17 and from 29 to 31.

The three 72-hour sorties will be attended by hundreds of crew members at bases in Barcelona, ​​​​Málaga and Palma.

Workers from the Spanish USO union want a wage increase of 40% of the base salary of low-paid flight attendants.

Meanwhile, a three-day strike against Ryanair’s Spanish staff begins on Thursday and continues until July 2.

The blackout will affect flights with 10 destinations nationwide in Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, ​​​​Alicante, Seville, Palma, Valencia, Girona, Santiago de Compostela and Ibiza.

However, Ryanair said it did not anticipate widespread unrest and said most crew members were not supportive of the planned actions.

Elsewhere, flights from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) in Paris and other French airports were delayed on Friday as workers went on strike to demand higher wages to catch up with inflation.

French civil aviation officials said 17% of scheduled flights were canceled today and more are expected tomorrow.

Today, hundreds of workers wearing union vests have blocked the central access road to the CDG, forcing passengers to walk with their suitcases to reach the terminal via detours.

This was after a massive strike by staff at the French Air Traffic Control Center in Marseille canceled flights from Spain, Italy, the UK and other destinations, usually through French airspace. ..

Italian unions have also threatened more strikes this summer after more than 4,000 passengers were beaten last month.

Italian pilots and flight attendants from Ryanair, Malta Air, Crewlink, easyJet and Bolt took part in this walk.

“This is just the first in a series of protests heating up the summer,” warned UIL Trasporti.

Other popular destinations are facing similar problems in the UK as a result of staff shortages.

The procession at Lisbon and Faro airports in Portugal is said to have lasted three hours, but travelers at Henry Coanda International Airport in Bucharest, Romania, complained of a four-hour flight delay and lost luggage, Mailonline said. .

Lufthansa, a popular German airline, has already been forced to cut 3,000 flights this summer due to staff shortages due to the pandemic.

According to available information, the government plans to hire 2,000 foreign workers from Turkey to solve the problem.

And as workers at Scandinavian Airlines SAS vote to strike this week, the unrest may quickly spread to Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

In the UK, Transport Minister Grant Shapps has announced a 22-point plan that he says will prevent a repeat of the Easter and New Year airport riots.

The list of actions (some of which have been previously announced) includes asking the airline to ensure the schedule is delivered.

To encourage you not to promise more flights than you can afford, the amnesty allows you to keep valuable takeoff slots that you would normally lose if you didn’t use a certain number of flights each season.

A new passenger charter will be published in a few weeks, providing passengers with a “comprehensive guide” outlining their rights and what they can expect when flying through an airport or airline.

Some welcome the government’s plan, but critics say it is too late.

On the same day that Chaps announced the measures, Heathrow Airport, the UK’s largest airport, canceled 30 flights at the last minute.

What is Rossio Concha? The policy and advocacy director said: It will be enough to avoid summer travel delays.

“Passengers have been badly treated in recent months. With millions of people planning holidays, governments and airline regulators are in control of the situation, and airports and airlines are busy for weeks. We must first show that we can guarantee that we can meet our legal obligations to our travelers.

“The shameful sight at UK airports shows why passengers must strengthen and protect their rights with strict regulations and compensation schemes. The government is fully committed to airlines if the CAA breaks the law. It should be empowered to fine and abandon plans to reduce passenger compensation for domestic flight delays and cancellations.

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