Irish holidaymakers are being warned to brace for disruption as a wave of strikes continues to sweep across Europe in one of the busiest summers of industrial action in years.
Several countries are seeing rolling walkouts by air traffic controllers, ground staff and rail workers.
With the school holiday season now underway, the timing could not be worse for many with extreme travel disruption set to continue in the weeks ahead.
Here’s what’s coming:
Paris airports: Thursday, June 18
The most immediate concern for anyone flying in the next week.
An inter-union group of airport workers has called a strike across all three Paris airports (Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Le Bourget) on June 18.
The main risk is ground disruption: longer queues, baggage delays and slower operations.
Anyone flying to, from or connecting through Paris that day should check their flight status closely and allow extra time.
Italy: Thursday, June 26
Italy faces a nationwide ground-handling strike on June 26, the latest in a series of disruptions across the Italian aviation sector this summer.
Italian strikes are usually time-limited, often a single day or part-day, but can still cause significant cancellations and delays, particularly at the bigger hubs.
Airlines often rebook passengers ahead of these confirmed dates, so watch for contact from your carrier.
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Spain: Ongoing through June 30
Spain has seen rolling disruption for weeks, with an air traffic control dispute (involving the SAERCO body) extended through to at least June 30, affecting a number of airports.
Ground-handling action has also been reported on certain weekdays.
Larger airports such as Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga have generally kept operating, but delays remain possible.
Italy again: Sunday, July 5
Looking a little further ahead, a separate Italian airport-sector strike has been called for July 5, involving staff across air, airport and airport-related services.
Worth noting now if you’re booked to travel to Italy in early July.
RollingNews.ie
What’s already happened
A punishing few weeks included a French national rail strike on June 10 that hit TGV, Eurostar and international services.
Earlier action saw a Belgian air traffic control strike on June 2 force Ryanair to cancel around 100 flights, affecting nearly 20,000 passengers. The move was slammed by the airline.
A Portuguese general strike on June 3 also grounded hundreds of flights.
While those disputes have largely settled, further action across all these countries cannot be ruled out as the summer goes on.
What are your rights?
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, if your flight is cancelled, you’re entitled to a refund or re-routing to your destination.
However, strike-related cancellations are often classed as ‘extraordinary circumstances,’ meaning you’re unlikely to get additional cash compensation.
Check your flight status before travelling, keep all receipts for meals and accommodation, and review whether your travel insurance covers industrial action.
And if an airline offers you a voucher at the gate, remember you’re not obliged to accept it. A cash refund or rebooking is your entitlement.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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