As people across the UK prepare to head off on their summer holidays, more travel chaos awaits.
This year, holidaygoers have been faced with enormous queues at airports, flight cancellations and delays, and even baggage issues due to staff shortages.
With many keen to finally get away after two years of traffic light systems, expensive Covid testing and travel restrictions, it seems a summer of travel industry disruption lies ahead.
Ryanair staff in Spain have now gone on strike and have multiple days of further strike action planned for July, meaning more flight cancellations or delays.
Here’s everything you need to know about why the airline’s staff are going on strike and what it could mean for those heading abroad this month.
Why are the Ryanair strikes happening?
The Ryanair 2022 strikes have occurred due to the airline’s staff being unhappy with their pay and working conditions, according to the USO and SICTPLA unions.
A statement read: “The unions and crew of Ryanair ... demand a change of attitude from the airline.”
They have called for “guarantees” of better working conditions for all of the airline’s employees, and also called on the Spanish government to “not to allow Ryanair to violate labour legislation and constitutional rights such as the right to strike”.
Airline workers across Europe have been staging strike action due to pre-pandemic salaries not being reinstated following travel resuming.
How will Ryanair strikes affect flights this summer?
Ryanair released a statement on Saturday, July 2, 2022, in which the airline assured passengers that there would be “minimal disruption” to its flight schedules.
It read: “In a statement on Saturday, Ryanair said it expected “minimal (if any) disruption to its flight schedules in July as a result of minor and poorly- supported Spanish labour strikes
Adding: “air traffic control (ATC) strikes and airport staff shortages across Europe (which are beyond Ryanair’s control) may however cause some minor disruption and passengers whose flights are disrupted will be notified by email/SMS”.
Ryanair staff in Spain have planned to strike on 12 to 1, 18 to 21 and 25 to 28 July, 2022, at 10 airports in Spain.
It is recommended that passengers check flight information and updates ahead of travel.
