Easter travel disruptions expected as aviation strikes impact popular holiday destinations

Strikes across Europe later this week are at risk of disrupting Easter holiday plans.

In Italy, easyJet flight attendants will stage a four-hour walkout on Wednesday 9 April, from 10:30am to 2:30pm, at airports across the country. This may affect flights between the UK and Italy, particularly those to and from Milan and Naples.

EasyJet reassured customers, stating: “We would like to reassure customers that we are doing all possible to minimise any disruption as a result of the strike action and should any flights be impacted, we will be contacting customers directly with their options to help rearrange their plans.”

In Greece, air traffic controllers will join other public sector workers in a 24-hour strike also on Wednesday. During the walkout, they will only manage emergency flights and certain others, including medical, search and rescue, humanitarian aid, and military flights, according to local media. The ADEDY union, which is demanding the reinstatement of work bonuses that were previously abolished, is leading the strike, following a similar one in February that grounded nearly all flights to and from Greece for 24 hours.

In France, travel over the Easter weekend could face disruption due to a potential train strike on the SNCF rail network. The Sud-Rail union has warned of possible disruption for up to six weeks, from 17 April to 2 June, unless a dispute over staff rosters is resolved.

Additionally, in the UK, passengers heading to London Luton Airport are reminded that there will be no East Midlands Railway or Thameslink trains between London St Pancras and Bedford over the weekend of 12–13 April.

Aegean Airlines is offering free flight change waivers for Wednesday and flight credits for passengers who choose to cancel their bookings. Aegean noted that the court could still halt the strike.

Just last month hundreds of flights were cancelled across Germany due to a nationwide strike by ‎airport workers over pay.‎