Wizz Air staff set to strike as holidaymakers warned of disruption
Scots holidaymakers could face disruption as pilots and cabin crew on a popular airline are set to go on strike this month.
Staff at budget airline Wizz Air will walk out as part of industrial action, according to the Italian Ministry of Transport. Staff in Italy will strike on Friday, November 29, from midnight up until the same time on November 30, reports Glasgow Live.
This will affect passengers flying from London to Italy. Wizz Air as an airline offer a number of other routes to and from Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
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As a result, AirAdvisor have warned that flights to and from Italy could be affected by delays and cancellations. Those flying with the airline to a different destination that weekend (November 29 to December 1) have also been warned that their travel plans will most likely be impacted as well.
CEO of travel compensation experts AirAdvisor, Anton Radchenko said: "There’s a strong possibility that staff shortages caused by the strikes will result in Wizz flights to Italy being delayed on Friday November 29th and this disruption could spill over into Saturday and potentially even Sunday due to the nature of these kind of walkouts.
"To put it simply - planes need pilots and cabin crews to leave the ground, so when these staff strike airlines have to draw-in personnel from elsewhere in their network, which isn’t always straightforward. Multiple flights being disrupted can have a damaging ripple effect on other services, as one flight missing its departure slot can they cause others taking off later than planned.
"If you’re flying with Wizz on the 29th or in the days that follow, make sure you regularly check for updates on the Wizz website, as well as the airport’s. Similar strikes in the past have caused airlines network-wide cancellations, so be prepared delays and cancellations to your flight with little notice, on the 29th.
"If you find yourself in a position where your flight is delayed over two hours, the airline must provide you with food and drink vouchers to make your delay more comfortable.
"When flights are cancelled with less than two weeks warning, you may be due up for £520 in compensation for the inconvenience, depending on the distance of your journey. Use a compensation calculator to figure out exactly what you might be owed, and file a claim as quickly as possible.
"Also, in the event of a cancellation, Wizz would be obliged to provide you with alternative travel to your destination and this could be a seat on another airline."
A spokesperson for Wizz Air noted that they have not issued a travel warning to customers about the strikes and are currently not expecting any disruption to UK flights on November 29.
They said: “It is incorrect that Wizz Air has issued a travel warning about this. Previous action did not cause any disruptions in the UK, and we are currently not expecting any disruption on the 29th November. Passengers should head to the airport as normal. We are continuing to monitor the situation, and should the situation change, we will inform any passengers directly if that’s needed.”
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