Strikes, delays, and cancellations threaten the high summer season, with tourists warned of possible chaos when traveling to Europe. According to Schengenvisainfo, European trade unions warned Eurocontrol that mass strikes may occur in Europe within the next six months.
At the same time, no specific dates were announced, as it was “only a preliminary warning”. So far, Eurocontrol, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, is negotiating with the trade unions and “hopes for a positive result.” But tourists have already been warned to prepare for the worst.
As the chief executive of London Gatwick Airport, Stuart Wingate, said, strikes could become “one of the biggest headaches” for the airport this summer. She also noted that 33,000 flights per day are expected over the next eight weeks, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year, meaning more flight cancellations and delays are likely.
At the same time, according to Eurocontrol, the average delay per flight in the first quarter of 2023 increased to a 5-year high of 14.5 minutes per flight compared to the first quarter of 2022, when the average delay per flight was 9.5 minutes per flight.
Another alarming piece of information is that strikes were the main cause of all disruptions registered in the first quarter of this year.