Ryanair cancels flights to popular European destination
RYANAIR has cancelled at least 44 flights this weekend, with more likely to be affected, due to a pilot strike.
It is thought that as many as 140 flights could be hit in one way or another, with walkouts scheduled on July 15 and 16.
The strikes, taking place at Charleroi airport near Brussels, have been called by the CNE and ACV Puls trade unions, along with pilots' union Beca.
As many as 80 per cent of pilots could walk out during the action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
So far 44 flights have been grounded, affecting flights to many popular European destinations.
Journeys to and from places like Girona and Valencia in Spain have been cancelled, as well as to Lisbon in Portugal and Naples, Marche, Pisa and Treviso in Italy.
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Flights to Morocco, France, Croatia, Bosnia, Sweden and Poland are also affected.
All of the grounded 44 flights were due to fly on Saturday, July 15, with the amount of routes cancelled on Sunday still unknown.
The airline however insists that more than 60 per cent of their planes to and from Belgium will still be in operation this weekend.
In a statement, they said: "While over 60 per cent of Ryanair flights to/from Belgium will operate as scheduled on Sat 15/Sun 16 July, we have regrettably been forced to cancel a small number of flights to/from Charleroi due to a strike by a small number of Belgium-based pilots.
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"All affected customers have been notified and advised of their options to transfer their flights to Thurs/Fri or Mon/Tues or receive a full refund if they wish to cancel their travel plans.
"Ryanair regrets any inconvenience caused to a small number of our Belgian passengers on Sat/Sun by this unnecessary pilot strike.
"Ryanair’s Belgian pilots and their union have been offered a similar pay increase to that recently agreed with pilot unions in other European countries.
"These unnecessary strikes will only cost our Belgian pilots lost pay when there is already a generous pay increase available to them and their union."
The pilot strikes aren't the only ones potentially causing problems for travellers this summer.
Tens of thousands of flights risk being delayed or cancelled after European air traffic controllers said they would walk out - adding to the existing challenges of "high overloads" in traffic.
British holidaymakers will now have to wait to discover whether their trips will be affected, with dates for the strikes to be announced in "coming days".
An industry source told The Times that the industrial action could disrupt up to 12,600 flights across Europe a day.
“In a full-blown strike 20 to 30 per cent of flights would be at least delayed. They are big numbers,” said the source.
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Meanwhile, another popular airline has also warned that more flights will likely have to be cancelled this summer.
And here's how to get refunds if your flight is grounded.
