A travel strike could spell disaster for some British holidaymakers as airline staff prepare to walk out over the summer holidays. On July 26, airline and airport staff plan to stage a national strike for four hours, between 1pm and 5pm local time.
Italian airport ground staff, including key personnel such as baggage handlers, ramp agents, and security workers, plan to walk out across dozens of airports in Italy. Staff at Spanish budget airline Volotea, which connects around 100 cities in Europe, are set to walk out at the same time, as are Swissport staff at Milan Linate, who provide check-in and gate services.
Strike action in Italy earlier has previously led to flights being cancelled from Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Naples and Venice Marco Polo, affecting passengers travelling via Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester.
This industrial action has been called for various reasons relating to employment contracts and working conditions.
An air travel compensation expert has advised customers what to do if they are impacted by delays or cancellations caused by the walkouts.
Darina Kovacheva, Head of Legal at airline compensation specialist SkyRefund, said when disruption to a passenger’s journey is caused by an airline’s employees, such as the planned Volotea staff strike, passengers may be eligible for compensation. This is because it can be considered within the airline’s responsibility.
He said: “Volotea passengers whose flights are either delayed or cancelled at short notice due to this industrial action may be entitled to compensation of £250–£520, based on the distance of their flight.
“As we saw earlier this month, the ongoing discontent among aviation workers in Italy is causing mayhem for holidaymakers visiting the country.
“We highly recommend that passengers travelling to Italy this weekend monitor the status of their flight before travelling to the airport, as strikes like these can cause last minute cancellations.”
