It’s a tough time to be working in the aviation industry. Faced with staff shortages and huge levels of disruption, many workers at airlines and airports are facing long, stressful hours and poor working conditions. And, thanks to the cost of living crisis and pandemic-era pay cuts, loads of them are doing it all for lower wages, too.
Needless to say, it’s no wonder that so many staff at airports and airlines have been going on strike. From Italy and Belgium to Greece and France, airports across Europe have seen thousands of flights delayed and cancelled by industrial action.
Strikes can, obvs, have a serious impact on your holiday, so it’s best to be as informed about them as possible. Read on for our guide to who’s going on strike in Europe right now, where and when those strikes will happen – and whether you need to worry about them.
Strikes at Edinburgh Airport
On Monday December 2, Unite, Scotland’s largest Union, announced that tanker drivers employed by North Air (who supply fuel to the airlines operating at Edinburgh) strongly backed industrial action. The walk out will begin on Wednesday December 18 at 5am and will end at the same time on Monday, January 6.
Routes that’ll likely be impacted include the Emirates service to Dubai, United Airlines to New York and Loganair’s services to the islands, according to Edinburgh Evening News, however, a spokesperson for the airport has told the Independent that ‘we are working with our airlines to understand their contingencies to minimise passenger disruption’.
Airport strikes in Italy
People due to travel to Italy on or around Sunday December 15 are being warned of potential disruption as Techno Sky employees (who manage the technological infrastructure for Italy’s air navigation services) will strike for 24 hours (and the following day will likely be affected).
The company oversees operations at 45 Italian airports, and the industrial action is also being backed by two of Italy’s major transport unions: FILT-CGIL and UILT-UIL.
Alongside this walkout, air traffic controllers at Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate and Bergamo Orio al Serio airports have announced a four-hour strike from 1 to 5 pm.
Pilot strikes in Finland
After the announcement that Finnish Air Line Pilots Association were to strike on December 9 and 13, and cause major disruption across Finnair’s services, the operator cancelled around 300 flights across the two days affecting 33,000 people.
On December 10 and 11, services have been feeling the spill over effect, and the same is expected for December 14. Due to the scale of the cancellations, it’s unlikely all rerouted flights will match original travel plans, and it’s best to contact Finnair customer service directly, according to Aviation A2Z.
easyJet employee strikes in France
Since September, easyJet employees in France have been striking in protest against the closure of the operator’s Toulouse hub, scheduled for March 2025. It’s thought that 125 employees could be affected, and the strike is set to continue until Monday December 16, according to The Connexion.
What happens if your airline goes on strike?
If the staff on strike cause your flight to be delayed or cancelled, the airline is usually obliged to help you and/or provide compensation. However, this often depends on the conditions of carriage of your airline, as well as the extent of your travel insurance. These should both be easily accessed on either your airline or insurer’s website.
However, if you book your flight already knowing that a strike is set to take place (ie. it’s already been announced by the union), you are exceptionally unlikely to receive compensation. Before you book, be sure to check for any strike dates not just at your intended airline but also at departure and arrival airports.
Of course, it’s worth bearing in mind that the threat of a strike is exactly that: a threat. Strikes are primarily used as bargaining chips in negotiations between unions and employers, so there’s always the chance that both sides will come to an agreement before one actually takes place.
In any case, if your journey involves any of the above airlines, destinations and dates, be sure to keep an eye on your flight status and prepare for a more disrupted journey than expected.