Airlines call on EU to put an end to strikes
Airlines are calling on Europe to put legislation in place to prevent further strike action by air traffic controllers.
EasyJet announced today that the recent strikes in Europe will cost it around £6 million in passenger compensation.
Chief executive Carolyn McCall said: “The significant disruption caused to millions of passengers across Europe, however, demonstrates the urgent need for European governments and the European Commission to modernise Europe’s outdated system of air traffic control providers and to end the ongoing strike action.”
Ryanair is calling on the EU Commission to remove the ‘right to strike’ from air traffic controllers after its services were again hit by industrial action.
It said strikes in Belgium, France and Spain this year have forced it to cancel 1,400 flights and delay over 12,000 other flights, disrupting over 2.5m passengers.
It is calling for the EU to change legislation to stop essential air transport services, such as ATC, from striking and reform the EU261 passenger rights legislation.
It said it would now take legal action again Belgocontrol following the wildcat strikes in Belgium last Tuesday, which caused the cancellation of over 90 Ryanair flights, disrupting over 15,000 passengers.
Speaking in Brussels, Michael O’Leary said: “How many more times will Europe’s airlines and their passengers be disrupted by unnecessary airspace closures, strikes and work to rules before the EU Commission finally takes some action?
“Striking ATC staff are the modern equivalent of highwaymen. They don’t care about consumers, they don’t care about passengers, they repeatedly strike because they know they can shut down Europe’s skies and hold EU Governments and passengers to ransom.
“It is ridiculous that Belgian, French and Spanish ATC controllers can repeatedly strike without any financial penalty, while airlines suffer a ‘right to care’ to passengers and absorb the costs of these un-necessary disruptions.
“It is also unacceptable that Spanish Air Traffic Controllers, some of whom earn almost €1 million per year, continue to engage in strikes, go slows and work to rules, causing delays and misery for millions of European passengers all summer long.”
Although easyJet has been hit by the European strikes, in its trading statement today it revised down the cost of the disruption from eruption of the Eyjafjalla volcano from £65 million to about £60 million.
Overall, it now expects to deliver a pre-tax profit for the year to 30 September slightly ahead of the £150 million that was the top end of its previous guidance range of £100 million to £150 million.
It said total revenue per seat at constant currency for the quarter ended 30 September is now expected to increase by at least 6% compared to the same period last year.
“This reflects good performances across the network but particularly on UK to European beach and city routes,” said the trading statement.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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