Urgent summer holiday warning as thousands of Brits brace for worst flight delays in 25 YEARS
BRITS have been warned to brace for the worst flight delays in 25 years following mounting staff shortages.
Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, said it is expecting to handle 5 per cent more flights than last summer - putting enormous strain on flight operations.
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With air traffic controller numbers already suffering, holidaymakers could face record delays later this year.
This follows last summer's chaos where delays were 47 per cent worse than in 2023.
Karlsruhe in Germany, Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia, and Merseille and Reims in France are expected to be the worst hit.
Steven Moore, Eurocontrol’s head of air traffic management operations, told The Times: “It’s plain we won’t have a summer without delays.”
Today, Greece’s air traffic controllers are grounding all flights in a 24-hour strike, just 11 days before Easter.
Analysis from AirAdvisor, the world's leading air passenger right company, showed 70-80 direct flights from the UK to Greece will be directly impacted, affecting almost 13,00 Brits.
EasyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, and TUI Airways passengers will mostly bear the brunt of this strike action with some 50 flights affected.
Other carriers including Aegean Airlines, Air France and Lufthansa are also expected to suffer severe delays as a result of staff shortages.
Key routes impacted include direct flights from key UK airports such as London Heathrow and Manchester to Greek airports like Athens and Heraklion.
The cost of delays has also taken a massive toll on the airline industry with bosses reporting eye-watering losses.
David Morgan, EasyJet's chief operating officer, said the airline had already suffered a 41 per cent increase in delays at the start of the year - "costing hundreds of millions".
This follows a series of other strikes by air traffic controllers earlier this year who have been demanding an increase in pay.
Last month, Workers at 13 German airports, including the likes of Berlin and Munich staged a one-day strike.
Flights between Germany and the UK were affected, with more than 20 flights cancelled from London Heathrow.
Services to Germany from other UK airports were also grounded, with more than five flights cancelled from London City Airport.
Over 1,000 flights to and from Frankfurt Airport were cancelled, according to German news agency dpa.
All of Berlin Airport's regular departures and arrivals were also cancelled, while Hamburg Airport previously said no departures would be possible.
Meanwhile, flights to and from Munich Airport were also greatly reduced, with no regular passenger service operating from Cologne/Bonn Airport.
Other German airports impacted by the strike action include Bremen, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Leipzig/Halle, Stuttgart, Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden.
More than 3,500 flights have been cancelled because of the walkout, with around 560,000 passengers affected.
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you're flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven't used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn't have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of "extraordinary circumstances" but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can't claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you're unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
thesun
