Wizz Air warns holidaymakers as Italian strikes set to cause air travel disruptions - what you need to know
Britons flying to Italy next weekend have been warned about disruptions
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British travellers planning trips to Italy next week face potential disruptions as a series of strikes are set to affect air travel, trains and local public transport.
Flight compensation specialists have issued a warning to Britons flying to Rome, Milan, Florence and Pisa on September 7.
Industrial action by staff at two key airlines and workers at all four airports is expected to cause significant disruption to these popular destinations.
Cabin crew and pilots at Italy's key carrier, ITA Airways, and budget airline Wizz Air, which flies from 10 UK airports, plan to strike between 1pm and 5pm local time.
The strikes won't be limited to air travel
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Air traffic controllers at Rome's Fiumicino airport and ground handling staff at Pisa International, Florence International and Milan Malpensa are also set to strike during the same four-hour window.
CEO of AirAdvisor Anton Radchenko warns of potential widespread disruption: "It's likely that passengers flying to the affected airports will face disruption to their journeys in the form of delayed and cancelled flights."
He added that even flights to non-Italian destinations may be impacted: "Anyone flying with Wizz or ITA Airways from other airports should ready themselves for disruption to their journeys.
"Potential knock-on of these delays is flights to non-Italian destinations missing their departure slot and having to take off later."
The strikes are not limited to air travel. Train passengers face a 23-hour strike on September 8, affecting Trenitalia and Trenitalia-Tper services.
On September 9, an eight-hour national strike will disrupt local public transport in cities across Italy, including Rome.
A spokesperson for Wizz air said the airline "doesn’t expect the internal strikes planned for this weekend to have any impact on UK flights".
“Wizz Air respects all employee rights, including the right to join a trade union, should they wish. We encourage direct and open communication between our staff and senior management and recognise the valuable feedback that this provides. We take all engagement with our employees very seriously.
“We have implemented structures and processes which support open and transparent engagement.”
Travellers affected by these strikes should be aware of their rights. Anton said passengers could be entitled to compensation depending on the gravity of disruptions.
"In the event of airline crew striking, passengers may be entitled to up to £520 each, relative to the length of the delay and the distance," added Radchenko.
Airlines are obliged to arrange alternative transportation to the intended destination, which may include flights with other carriers.
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Staff at Wizz Air are set to take industrial action
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For long waits at airports, airlines must provide refreshments, two free phone calls or texts, and overnight accommodation if necessary.
If a flight is delayed more than five hours, passengers can cancel and claim a refund of the ticket price.
Radchenko recommended using a flight compensation calculator to determine potential compensation amounts.
Passengers are advised to stay informed and check with their airlines for updates as the strike dates approach.
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