Last week’s various strikes in global aviation caused problems for more than 70,000 passengers. This is calculated by EUclaim, which assists passengers in the event of a delay. Air force personnel in France, Germany and Spain, among others, went on strike last week. The strikes had caused nearly 5,000 flights to be canceled or delayed by more than three hours.
A week earlier, some 34,000 people were still experiencing severe delays or canceled flights, says EUclaim’s Paul Vaneker. ‘Mainly because of the strikes, which has risen to 70,000. It has a huge impact on the traveller.’
However, the number of passengers who are eligible for compensation is limited, Vaneker explains. Passengers are not entitled to compensation in circumstances beyond the control of the airline. This is the case of a strike by third parties: think of air traffic control or security guards».
In France, air traffic control stopped working for eight days. Airport staff in Spain and Germany are on strike. In the event of an airline staff strike, passengers are entitled to compensation.
Claim fees
Passengers can recover the costs incurred due to their delay from the airline, Vaneker says. “These claims concern overnight hotel stays and, for example, food and drink. This equates to around 500 euros per passenger.’
Also this week there will be many strikes in the aviation sector: there are work stoppages in France, Greece and Spain. The Netherlands is not going on strike, but strikes also have a lot of influence on Dutch travellers. EUclaim counted 188 delayed flights to and from the Netherlands last week, up from 72 flights the previous week.
Greece cancelled
All flights to and from Greece on Thursday will be cancelled. Air traffic controllers, among others, went on strike for 24 hours that day. Several major Greek unions have called for a strike following a major train crash two weeks ago.
The unions are calling for a thorough investigation into the exact circumstances of that accident, in which a passenger train and a freight train collided head-on. 57 people were killed, many of them under the age of thirty. The trains were running on the same track due to human error, but that could be because the automatic signals haven’t worked for years.
Since then there have been regular strikes and demonstrations against the government in Greece, because it has neglected the railway for years. The government recognizes that there are problems and would like to turn to the European Union to finance the maintenance and improvement of the railway network.
Source: BNR
Andrew Dwight is an author and economy journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of financial markets and a passion for analyzing economic trends and news. With a talent for breaking down complex economic concepts into easily understandable terms, Andrew has become a respected voice in the field of economics journalism.
