Anxious holidaymakers could be facing more trouble this week with ongoing issues with flight cancellations and airport delays. It's not just UK passengers facing disruption with hubs and carriers across Europe reporting staffing issues likely to impact travel plans.
Many are scrambling to hire more workers with vacancies ranging from pilots to security and border control staff and baggage handlers after many left or made redundant during the Covid-19 crisis. Industry executives have expressed concerns about recruiting for relatively low paid work at airports, while training staff and obtaining security clearance can take time.
Airports
Heathrow
Some staff at London's Heathrow airport voted on Thursday to strike after the airline failed to reverse a 10 per cent pay cut imposed during the pandemic, with the first walkout likely to take place during the peak summer holiday period beginning in July.
Brussels
Strikes in Belgium in protest over the rising over the cost of living forced Brussels Airport to cancel all departing flights on Monday. More walkouts are possible.
Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, Paris
Workers at France's main airport went on strike earlier this month on June 9 to demand a 300 euro per month increase and better working conditions, leading to the cancellation of 25 per cent of flights. More action is planned for July 2.
Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports need to fill 4,000 jobs mainly in security, maintenance and travel retail.
Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
One of Europe's busiest airports needs to hire 500 security staff. Pre-pandemic, there were 68,000 workers employed around the airport, now there are just 58,000.
Germany
Around 20 per cent of security, check-in and aircraft handling jobs are vacant, with a shortfall of 2,000 workers in ground handling. There have been demands to allow the industry to hire 2,000 temporary workers from Turkey.
Spain and Portugal
Police will deploy 500 more staff at the country's busiest holiday airports, including Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Madrid and Barcelona. Meanwhile, the Portuguese government plans to more than double border control staff at the country's six airports by July 4.
Airlines
Easyjet
The low-cost carrier announced it was cutting thousands of flights this summer, especially from Gatwick and Manchester. Spain-based cabin crew also plan to strike for nine days in July, demanding a 40 per cent increase in their basic salary which is understood to be lower than counterparts in France and Germany.
Ryanair
Some cabin crew are staging a three-day walkout in Belgium, Spain and Portugal in a dispute over pay and working conditions, causing the budget airline to cancel dozens of flights. Staff in France and Italy are also expected to strike during the forthcoming weekend.
Lufthansa
Ground staff are demanding at least 350 euros per month more over 12 months to cushion the effects of soaring inflation, with first round of negotiations set to take place June 30.
SAS
Around 1,000 SAS pilots in Denmark, Norway and Sweden will walk out on June 29 in a row over wages and cost-cutting plans.
British Airways
Check-in staff at Heathrow have also voted for strike action in a pay dispute. The airline responded to the result of a union ballot: "We’re extremely disappointed with the result and that the unions have chosen to take this course of action.
“Despite the extremely challenging environment and losses of more than £4 billion, we made an offer of a 10 per cent payment which was accepted by the majority of other colleagues. We are fully committed to work together to find a solution, because to deliver for our customers and rebuild our business we have to work as a team.
“We will of course keep our customers updated about what this means for them as the situation evolves.”
