The agitation from 10 to 18. Ryanair, Vueling, Wizz Air: canceled and guaranteed flights, timetables
Up to 1,000 flights, both national and international, at risk today 15 July 2023 due to the strike in the air transport sector. According to Codacons, 250,000 citizens departing from Italian airports are at risk of being stranded.
Enac has announced the list of guaranteed flights to and from Italy, while Ita Airways has released the list of canceled national and international flights, launching an extraordinary plan to limit the inconvenience of passengers, rebooking on the first available flights the most possible number of travelers involved in the cancellations: 40% will be able to fly on the same day as the strike, according to the company’s website.
THE REASONS FOR THE PROTEST
The abstention from work, explain Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti and Ugl, was proclaimed in support of the dispute for the renewal of the employment contract which had expired for 6 years. Today 15, from 12 to 16, the pilots of the Malta Air company that operates Ryanair flights also stop. Filt Cgil, Uiltrasporti and Ugl Trasporto Aereo proclaimed the unitary national strike “following the signing by some subjects of a totally unsatisfactory agreement for the pilots category and given the company’s total closure to dialogue and confrontation”, unions say.
According to the three trade union organizations, this is “an absolutely unsatisfactory agreement and little respect for the professionalism and contribution that the flight crew has ensured and which, in particular, in the post-pandemic phase, has allowed the company to significantly increase profitability”.
RYANAIR, VUELING, WIZZ AIR
The day will therefore be conditioned by the strike by the Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti and Ugl unions for airport handling workers. To this protest is added the one that between 12 and 16 will cause the pilots of the Malta Air company that operates Ryanair flights to stop. In theory, the engines will restart in the late afternoon, but it is inevitable that the strike will have consequences beyond the time of the protest.
From 10 to 18 also pilots and flight attendants of the Vueling company cross arms “due to the company’s lack of willingness to develop healthy and constructive industrial relations with the trade union organization most representative of the company’s workers’ needs”, confirms the Filt CGIL.
Wizz Air announces that “it is unfortunately forced to cancel a number of flights to and from Italy on that day, since they cannot be handled by ground handling staff. Wizz Air is offering refunds and rebooking options to affected passengers”. Wizz Air explains that “journey times to airports, check-ins and security checks may take longer than expected”.
ITA AIRWAYS, NEW BOOKINGS AND REFUNDS
“ITA Airways invites all travelers who have purchased a ticket for the day of the strike, to check the status of their flight, before going to the airport, on the ita-airways.com website, in the Info Flights section, or by contacting the agency from which they purchased the ticket”, it is underlined. “Passengers who have purchased an Ita Airways ticket to travel on July 15th, in the event of cancellation or modification of the time of their flight, will be able to change the booking without any penalty or request a refund of the ticket (only if the flight has been canceled or has been delayed by more than 5 hours) no later than 22 July 2023, by calling the toll-free number from Italy 800 93 60 90 | from abroad +39 06 8596 0020, or by contacting the trip where they bought the ticket”, they also let it be known.
REFUNDS
In the event of a strike in the national air sector, the passenger is not entitled to financial compensation, but can buy a new alternative flight at his own expense, even with a different airline than the one initially chosen. This occurs if the passenger is not adequately re-protected by the air carrier. These sums disbursed as a result of the airline strike can be reimbursed, as well as the costs of any other means of transport used to get to the originally scheduled destination, any extra hotel nights and meals on the days in which the airline disruption was caused.
“The summer season has come to life and the growth of the destinations offered by the airlines in recent weeks is evident – says Felice D’Angelo, CEO of ItaliaRimborso -. Proportionally, however, air disruptions have grown, as have strikes, where the passenger may suffer a delay or cancellation of the flight. The traveller, if not re-protected by the air carrier with a new flight, can certainly replace the assistance of the airline and bear all the expenses to reach the pre-established destination. in this case it will then be possible to initiate a claim for reimbursement of expenses, by contacting the air carrier or a claim company directly”.
The administrator of ItaliaRimborso, which provides free assistance to passengers who are victims of airline disruptions, clarifies the traveller’s rights in the event of a strike: “In the event of a strike in the airline sector, the passenger is not entitled to the pecuniary compensation envisaged by EU Regulation 261 /2004, which varies from 250 to 600 euros, but only and exclusively the reimbursement of expenses to reach the destination, if these are proven by receipts and/or invoices”.
Source-www.adnkronos.com