Thousands of passengers across Europe are expected to experience disruptions to flights in late October as Italian pilots are planning a four-hour walkout.
Pilots from the budget airline easyJet are set to go on strike on 27 October for four hours between 1pm and 5pm, and while the window is a short one, aviation experts say that this could have a knock-on effect on the rest of the flight timetable that weekend.
The strike, organised by the Italian transport union UIL Trasporti who are representing the pilots, will affect flights coming in and out of three Italian cities, Milan, Naples and Venice.
Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of AirAdvisor, has warned that easyJet passengers should be prepared for flight disruptions on the Sunday before the October half-term starts for UK schoolchildren.
“EasyJet is the UK’s biggest airline, especially in terms of passenger volume, so thousands of passengers across Europe will directly be impacted by these pilot strikes on 27th October,” he told the Mirror.
“Our message is: be prepared for disruption and understand your rights as a passenger,” he added to the Daily Express.
EasyJet passengers have already been severely affected by strikes this year after 232 of 1,138 flights to and from Portugal were cancelled by the airline in August due to a three-day strike by its cabin crew in the country, causing chaos for holidaymakers travelling to its popular tourist destinations.
“While these strikes are unlikely to have as devastating an impact as August’s strikes in Portugal, if you’re travelling to Italy with easyJet on the 27th, expect delays to your journey,” Radchenko continued.
The aviation expert explained that other easyJet services could be affected due to the strikes, as delays and cancellations can put other flight times across Europe out of kilter.
“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 where other flights end up missing their departure slot and are forced to take off later than planned,” he said.
However, Radchenko said that the “good news” is that passengers should be able to claim compensation because the strikes are “within easyJet’s control”.
“In other words, they could have prevented them from happening, so should your flight be cancelled or delayed by over three hours, you will be due between £350 and £520 for the inconvenience,” he explained.
“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.”
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.
“Should the industrial action go ahead, there could be some disruption to our flying programme to and from Milan, Naples and Venice during the strike period, but at this stage, easyJet plans to operate its full schedule, and we would like to reassure customers that we will do everything possible to minimise any disruption.”
EasyJet’s website said that if a passenger’s flight is cancelled, there are several options available, such as switching to another flight for free, choosing a voucher for the full value of the booking or requesting a refund.
The Independent has contacted UIL Trasporti for comment.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast