A 24-hour strike in Greece has led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from the country
Hundreds of flights to and from Greece have been cancelled today as the nation’s aviation sector grapples with air traffic control strikes. The Greek Air Traffic Controllers Association (EEEKE) Board announced last week their decision to join the 24-hour strike by the Civil Servants Federation (ADEDY) set for Wednesday, April 9.
As early as 7.30am UK time this morning, flight tracking service FlightAware reported a staggering 176 flights either leaving from or arriving in Athens as cancelled. This included an Aegean Airlines service that was due to leave Edinburgh Airport at 9.30.
Additionally, 43 flights via Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, have been grounded, along with 19 services to the popular holiday destination Rhodes. A total of 24 flights scheduled at Heraklion and Chania in Crete have also been scrapped. An easyJet flight set to leave from Edinburgh Airport to Heraklion at 16.15 is currently delayed until 17.55, however, passengers should keep an eye out for further updates as this is very likely to change.
In terms of airline impact, Greece’s national carrier Aegean is taking the hardest hit with 82 flights cancelled, while around 80 easyJet and Ryanair services have been cut – most of which were supposed to fly in or out of Greece today.
Travellers can check the status of their flight either through their departure airport’s official website, or on the website or app of their airline. Many airlines also sent text or e-mail alerts to warn of delays.
The UK, being one of Greece’s largest sources of inbound tourists with approximately 4 million visitors annually, is feeling the effects. Ivaylo Danailov, CEO of airline compensation experts SkyRefund, commented: “The situation for anyone travelling to Greece on holiday looks bleak today with airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol all reporting cancellations to the country.
“Well over 200 services to and from the country have been grounded, it’s a mass cancellation event.”
“In instances like today, holidaymakers are unfortunately not able to claim composition as national strikes are viewed as being out of the airline’s hands, and they couldn’t have prevented the cancellations.
“Passenger rights to care and assistance, though, remains the same. You are able to claim a refund for your cancelled flight if you do not want to travel and your airline is required to book you on a new service if you still want to make your trip.”