Aug 11 (Reuters) – Europe’s travel industry is on high alert for disruption from strikes as passenger numbers globally recover to pre-pandemic levels.
While Europe’s peak season was hit last year by cancellations, this summer, air traffic control issues are likely to be the weak spot, according to warnings from Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace.
Here is a summary of recent developments:
EUROCONTROL
One of the Eurocontrol trade unions has announced a six-month period when industrial action could take place in the Network Manager Operations Centre, which oversees traffic across the European airspace, the pan-European organisation said on July 7. The union has not set specific dates for a strike.
BELGIUM
Ryanair RYA.I pilots in Belgium went on strike on July 15-16 to demand higher wages and better working conditions. Belgian media reported around 120 flights were cancelled.
Pilots held another strike on July 29 and July 30, saying management had failed to address their demands. The union has said further action could be taken.
Ryanair pilots residing in Belgium have called a new strike for Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. According to the Chaleroi airport website, 88 Ryanair flights to and from this Belgium airport on Aug. 14-15 have been cancelled due to this strike.
BRITAIN
A first round of strikes planned by baggage handlers working with easyJet EZJ.L at London’s Gatwick Airport was suspended after a better pay offer, the Unite trade union said on July 18.
ASC, Menzies Aviation and GGS staff, who work for other airlines including British Airways, also cancelled walkouts scheduled to take place from July 28 to Aug. 1 and from Aug. 4 to Aug. 8 after they voted to accept a 15% pay rise, the union said.
Concerns over air traffic control delays already prompted EasyJet to axe 2% of its summer flight schedule on July 10, affecting holiday plans of 180,000 customers. The airline cancelled 1,700 flights, mostly from Gatwick, for the rest of July and August.
230 Gatwick airport employees and members of Unite are set to go on strike for eight days during August.
FRANCE
Repeated air traffic control strikes in France, related to President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the pension age, have led to delays and limited flights across the country, causing more air space congestion in Europe.
Ryanair, which has asked the European Commission to protect overflights from strike disruption, cancelled more than 900 flights in June, mainly due to French ATC strikes.
ITALY
About 1,000 flights were cancelled in Italy on July 15 due to a nationwide airport staff strike, local media reported. Up to 100% of workers participated in the strike, trade unions said in a press release.
Air traffic control company ENAV ENAV.MI has confirmed there will be no strikes in the Italian air transport sector between July 27 and Sept. 5 due to a summer exemption provided for in industry regulations.
PORTUGAL
Easyjet EZJ.Lcancelled 350 flights arriving to or departing from Portugal ahead of a cabin staff strike on July 21-25, the SNPVAC union of civil aviation flight personnel said. It will be the union’s third strike since the beginning of the year.
On July 21, almost 100% of EasyJet’s cabin staff in Portugal walked out and the union threatened more strikes in the coming months if the company keeps rejecting the raises they demand.
SPAIN
Pilots at Iberia Regional Air Nostrum, who had been striking every Monday and Friday since Feb. 27 and daily from June 6, called off the strike from the night of June 22 after progress was made in wage talks, with the aim of safeguarding the summer season, pilots’ union SEPLA said on June 23.
(Reuters)