EasyJet pilots based in Italy are planning to strike later this month, the Italian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has warned.
The strikes, set to take place on Sunday, 27 October, will affect easyJet flights to Milan, Naples and Venice – all extremely popular destinations for holidaymakers trying to escape the colder weather and darker evenings as the clocks go back in Scotland.
The action is set to take place between 1pm and 5pm local time on that date.
However, passengers are being told to expect wider issues with easyJet flights on that day due to a “domino” effect that could see other easyJet services from Edinburgh Airport across the weekend falling foul to delays and cancellations – due to the airlines’ resources being stretched.
Passengers due to travel to those destinations or via the airline generally are being warned of likely disruption to their travel plans. As the action is within the airline’s control, passengers affected may be due up to £520 in compensation, consumer advocacy organisation AirAdvisor has explained.
The timing of the strikes places them right in the middle of various UK half-term breaks. For Edinburgh schools, for example, half term is from Monday 14 to Monday 21 October 2024. It starts on October 28 at many English schools.
In a statement to The Independent, an easyJet spokesperson said: “EasyJet has been advised of strike action by UIL Trasporti, which represents some of its pilots based in Italy for four hours on 27 October between 13 and 17 local time, at its bases in Milan, Naples and Venice.
“We are committed to working constructively with our employee representatives in Italy and urge UIL to call off the action and come back to a constructive dialogue. We would like to reassure customers that we will do everything possible to minimise any disruption.”
In August, easyJet cancelled 232 flights to and from Portugal as a result of a three-day strike by cabin crew in the country, representing around a sixth of flights it had been scheduled to operate.
Anton Radchenko, who heads up AirAdvisor, a company that helps travellers affected by disruption to their journeys claim compensation from airlines, explains:
“It’s also entirely possible that easyJet services in other destinations will be affected by these strikes, so keep a close eye on their website approaching the weekend if you’re set to travel. This can happen when delays to flights causes a kind of domino effect, where other flights end up missing their departure slot and are forced to take off later than planned.
“The good news is that from a compensation perspective, as these strikes are within easyJet’s control, in other words they could have prevented them from happening – should your flight be cancelled or delayed by over three hours you will be due between £350 and £520 for the inconvenience.
“If you can no longer board your intended flight, your airline must arrange alternative transportation to your destination, this can be a flight with a rival airline.
“Naturally, no-one wants their journey to be affected by this kind of disruption – but if you find yourself in a situation where you have a long wait at the airport, the airline must provide you with refreshments proportional to the waiting time.
“Following a disrupted journey we always suggest using a compensation calculator to establish what you might be owed.”
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