Ryanair cancels 146 flights ahead of Friday’s strikes
Ryanair pilots in Belgium, Sweden and Ireland are set to stage a 24-hour strike on Friday and pilots in Germany and the Netherlands could join in too.
A poll by the Association of Dutch Pilots (VNV) found 99.5% would be in favour of a strike while Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the German pilots’ union, said 96% of Ryanair pilots voted in favour.
Talks are ongoing in both countries.
"Ryanair has been playing for time in the negotiations since January," said a VC statement.
"If the signal given by this vote is not taken seriously, then strikes – such as in other European countries – are inevitable."
The confirmed action on Friday by pilots in Belgium, Sweden and Ireland will lead to the cancellation of 146 flights – 104 to and from Belgium, 22 in Sweden and 20 in Ireland – and will impact 25,000 passengers.
Ryanair has described the strikes as unnecessary and said it will re-accommodate or refund all passengers who are affected.
"We apologise to our customers for the disruption these unnecessary strikes will cause," said Ryanair.
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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