EasyJet pilots strike could impact Belfast flights, warns travel experts

Pilots from the budget airline in three Italian cities are set to go on strike on 27 October for four hours between 1pm and 5pm. While this strike is a short one, 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 Milan, Naples and Venice.

However, easyJet say that they are still planning to run their full timetable on the strike day and believe that flights will not be disrupted as a result.

Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of AirAdvisor warned that passengers should be prepared for disruption.

“While these strikes are unlikely to have as devastating an impact as August’s strikes in Portugal, if you’re travelling via easyJet on the 27th, expect delays to your journey,” he said.

“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 when delays to flights causes a kind of domino effect, where other flights end up missing their departure slot and are forced to take off later than planned.

“The good news is that from a compensation perspective, as these strikes are within easyJet’s control, in other words they could have prevented them from happening – should your flight be cancelled or delayed by over three hours you will be due between £350 and £520 for the inconvenience.

“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.”

EasyJet have been contacted for comment.

News Catch Up – Thursday 10 October