British holidaymakers have been warned that the upcoming easyJet strikes could lead to significant travel disruptions during the Easter break.
With schools in Scotland closed for two weeks from Monday, April 7, to Monday, April 21, many families are gearing up for a well-earned getaway.
However, the planned strikes could cause travel chaos, particularly across the UK and Europe.
Flight attendants at easyJet are scheduled to strike on Wednesday, April 9, right in the middle of the Easter holidays.
Flight attendants at easyJet are scheduled to strike on Wednesday, April 9, right in the middle of the Easter holidays
PA IMAGESThe walkout, planned for four hours, involves cabin crew from the Italian Federation of Transport Workers (FILT), the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), and the Italian Union of Transport (UIL).
The strike will start at 10.30am and end at 2.30pm Central European Time.
Experts have warned that this disruption could cause significant issues for passengers flying from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports to Italy.
These flights could be affected, with potential ripple effects across the UK and Europe.
MORE LIKE THIS:
Passengers from Glasgow can fly to Italian cities like Pisa, Milan, Naples, and Rome, while Edinburgh offers flights to Milan, Catania, Venice, and Naples with easyJet.
Anton Radchenko, an international lawyer and CEO of compensation experts AirAdvisor, explained that strikes by flight attendants can severely affect airline operations.
"Flight attendant strikes can be extremely damaging for an airline’s day-to-day operations," Radchenko said.
"This is because flight attendants are a vital component in the service that commercial airlines provide, helping passengers to have a pleasant flight, but also ensuring safety equipment is working properly and demonstrating emergency procedures."
Passengers from Glasgow can fly to Italian cities like Pisa, Milan, Naples, and Rome
PAHe continued: "Strikes can lead to services being short-staffed or unable to take off, ultimately causing flights to be cancelled. This can create a ripple effect hitting other services that were relying on an aircraft and its crew being available for new flights to the intended destination.
“Equally, when flights are delayed, they can miss their departure slot, which might cause other services from the same airport to depart later than planned."
Radchenko also mentioned that passengers could be entitled to compensation if their flights are cancelled or delayed due to the strikes.
"The air passenger rights regulation entitles you to compensation of between £220 and £520 if your flight is delayed by more than three hours or cancelled, as a result of industrial action by airline staff," he explained.
He advised those affected by these strikes to collect written evidence of any delays or cancellations.
