Hundreds of flights have been canceled, affecting up to 68,000 passengers
At least 400 national and international flights were canceled in Italy on Sunday as airline staff, cabin crew and pilots employed by budget carriers staged a four-hour strike, Corriere della Sera reports.
The industrial action reportedly involved staff employed by Ryanair, Volotea, easyJet and Air Malta, as well as the flight attendant company CrewLink. Italian state-backed ITA Airways said it had canceled 122 flights, which accounted for 40% of the carrier’s daily capacity. Several trade unions also called on staff of the air traffic control company ENAV to join the stoppage.
As a result of the protest, easyJet canceled flights from Milan’s Linate Airport to Berlin and from Rome-Fiumicino to Amsterdam. Ryanair said it had been forced to cancel some flights because of the strike at ENAV.
The strike, which is expected to impact up to 68,000 passengers, has occurred over a dispute about workers’ rights, working conditions, and the payment of minimum wage in the industry.