Planned aviation strikes for today, April 9, in Greece and Italy are causing massive travel chaos, with even more disruptions, delays, and cancellations on the horizon.
Holidaygoers who were hoping to make the most out of Easter by travelling may be in for some disappointment, with major travel chaos expected to strike this week across popular European holiday destinations Greece and Italy.
Aviation strikes in the two countries for today, April 9, are causing massive travel chaos, with even more disruptions, delays, and cancellations on the horizon.
Today, April 9, in Italy, easyJet cabin crew have initiated a strike action that began at 10.30am Italian local time and is set to conclude at 2.30pm. The walkout is impacting services arriving at and departing from Milan and Naples. The industrial action is orchestrated by the Italian Federation of Transport Workers, the Italian General Confederation of Labour, and the Italian Union of Transport.
In response, easyJet released a statement affirming its commitment to customers: “We would like to reassure customers that we are doing all possible to minimise any disruption as a result of the strike action and should any flights be impacted we will be contacting customers directly with their options to help rearrange their plans,” the spokesperson said.
Have you been impacted by the strikes? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
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Several people have taken to social media to express their frustration and address the travel chaos. “IT’S SO OVER. My family and I were supposed to go to Greece for Easter break, but somehow we got stranded in Italy due to the 24 hour strike in Athens?? Everyone is so stressed and feeling hopeless because our flight got cancelled, and we can’t find any rebooking options oof,” one unhappy customer wrote.
Another flier was frustrated at being unable to rebook their travel plans: “What is Easy waiting for to cancel? With the flight not being cancelled yet and not being provided with an option to refund/ reschedule at no extra cost, we are left not knowing when we are in fact going to Greece and can’t make any plans re this trip! Please advise ASAP!”
Meanwhile, Greek air traffic controllers are aligning themselves with broader public sector demonstrations, as the Board of the Greek Air Traffic Controllers Association (EEEKE) announced last week that it will join the Civil Servants Federation’s (ADEDY) nationwide strike for 24 hours on Wednesday, April 9.
As Greece grapples with strikes across its air traffic network, numerous flights both inbound and outbound have been halted today. As of 7.30am UK time today, flight tracking service FlightAware reported a massive cancellation of 176 flights either departing from or arriving at Athens. Additionally, a further 43 flights linked to Thessaloniki, the country’s second-largest city, have been grounded. The popular destination of Rhodes has also seen 19 services cancelled.
Travel disruption is widespread across Greece, with 24 flights in both Heraklion and Chania in Crete also being suspended. Aegean Airlines, the national carrier of Greece, seems to be hit hardest by the strikes with a total of 82 cancellations, while approximately 80 flights from budget airlines easyJet and Ryanair have been scrapped, most of them affecting Greece-bound journeys today.
The Greek Air Traffic Controllers’ Association expressed its concerns to The Independent, stating: “Unfortunately, air traffic control in Greece is in a bad situation as we have staffing shortages and equipment problems which cause a lot of delays in the last years and will cause a lot this year as well.”
The flight chaos is expected to lead to the cancellation of between 70 and 80 UK flights, potentially stranding anywhere from 11,200 to 12,800 Brits who planned to fly with carriers such as easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, and TUI Airways, based on analysis from AirAdvisor.
Flight carrier easyJet is anticipated to cancel over 20 flights, while British Airways and Ryanair should see upwards of 15 cancellations each, and TUI Airways over 10. Other companies affected include major airlines like Aegean Airlines, Air France, and Lufthansa.
Passengers with connecting flights in Greece en route to destinations in the Middle East, Asia, and Australia are likely to experience significant inconvenience due to these disruptions.
Travellers facing the frustration of strike-induced cancellations would not be eligible for any financial compensation due to these circumstances falling under “extraordinary circumstances” beyond airline control, which exempts airlines from such liabilities.
Despite this, those hit by the disruptions are entitled to care as per EU regulations, which includes complimentary meals, accommodation and transport to and from the airport.
Ivaylo Danailov, CEO of airline compensation experts SkyRefund, said: “The situation for anyone travelling to Greece on holiday looks bleak today with airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol all reporting cancellations to the country. Well over 200 services to and from the country have been grounded, it’s a mass cancellation event. In instances like today, holidaymakers are unfortunately not able to claim composition as national strikes are viewed as being out of the airline’s hands, and they couldn’t have prevented the cancellations.
“Passenger rights to care and assistance, though, remains the same. You are able to claim a refund for your cancelled flight if you do not want to travel and your airline is required to book you on a new service if you still want to make your trip.”
