will my flight be cancelled?


There is a 24-hour strike planned for tomorrow (Friday, November 24), in Italy. This is in response to government budget plans for 2024 and is expected to involve handling services and ground staff, which will likely cause flight delays and cancellations. It’s worth noting that the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, ENAC, guarantees flight operations from 7am to 10am and from 6pm to 9pm on strike days, which means that there may still be delays but perhaps not as many cancellations. Those travelling should check the status of their flight before they travel to the airport.

Main photo: planes queue for take-off at Ibiza airport (Getty Images)

Air traffic control in Rome — Italian controllers were among those striking this year (Alamy)

Air traffic control in Rome — Italian controllers were among those striking this year (Alamy)

Full list of airport and air traffic control strikes in Europe

There are several strikes affecting European air travel. If you’re due to travel, make sure your airline has the correct contact details for you so they can get in touch if there is a delay or cancellation. It is worth downloading your airline’s app, which will often contain information not available elsewhere.

Strikes in the UK

There are no strikes currently planned for the UK but it’s worth bearing in mind that there may also be rail strikes affecting your journey to or from the airport.

Strikes in France

There are no strikes currently planned for France.

Strikes in Italy

A 24-hour strike will take place tomorrow, November 24. This is in response to government budget plans for 2024 and will involve handling services and ground staff. Flight delays and cancellations are likely, though the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, ENAC, guarantees flight operations from 7am to 10am and from 6pm to 9pm on strike days.

Strikes in Spain

Security staff working at Alicante airport have announced a series of strikes extending from September 2023 to January 2024. Flights are unlikely to be affected but travellers should prepare for longer waits at security and should therefore allow plenty of time to get through the airport.

The strike dates are:

• November: 24 to 26, 28
• December: 1 to 10, 12, 15 to 17, 19, 22 to 31
• January: 1 to 14

Due to minimum service level requirements in Spain, the effect of the strike will be limited — in this case the striking staff will only be walking out between the hours of 8.45am and 9.45am, and 6pm and 7pm on strike days.

Strikes in Greece

There are no scheduled strikes in Greece at the moment.

What happens if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

Air traffic control strikes and those by airport staff not directly employed by an airline are considered “extraordinary circumstances”, which means you won’t be due any compensation from the airline. However, airlines still have certain legal obligations and have a duty of care if you’re already travelling.

If your flight is cancelled then the airline needs to either offer you a full refund for the journey, as well as for any affected return flights on the same booking, to be reimbursed within seven days, or offer you an alternative flight, including with a rival airline in some cases. You can read more about your rights when your flight is cancelled here.

If your flight is cancelled or delayed, airlines have a duty of care (Alamy)

If your flight is cancelled or delayed, airlines have a duty of care (Alamy)

If your flight is delayed, the airline’s duty of care means it needs to provide you with a reasonable amount of food and drink, means for you to communicate, accommodation if your flight isn’t until the next day, and transfers to and from the accommodation if that’s the case.

In some cases you’ll be provided with vouchers for these items but often you are expected to claim back reasonable expenses from the airline afterwards, so keep your receipts.

You could still end up with out-of-pocket costs and in this instance a comprehensive travel insurance policy may come in handy. Whether you’ll get a payout will depend on your coverage, so check the small print. Also make sure you get something in writing from the airline to confirm the cause of the delay or cancellation.

• Train strikes December 2023: how will they affect my holiday?
• What happens if I miss my flight because of security queues?

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