Italy Cancels 500 Flights amid ATF, Staff Walkouts

[In The News]

DALLAS – Around 500 flights were canceled yesterday, a popular day for vacation travel in Italy, as a result of four-hour walkouts by air traffic controllers and workers from low-cost carriers.

The strikes, according to the Italian transport ministry, were called by employees of Ryanair (FR), easyJet Europe (EC), and Volotea (V7). The air traffic controllers’ four-hour walkout started an hour before that strike, which commenced at 2 p.m.

Union official Fabrizio Cuscito told Italian state television that airline employees want greater salaries as well as better working circumstances, such as meals during long shifts.

Ryanair Boeing 737-800. Photo: Julian Schöpfer/Airways

Worldwide Staffing Woes

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Italy’s airports have suffered less disruption this summer compared to those in other Western European nations. This is mostly due to the fact that many Italian airline and airport employees earned government benefits while not working during the COVID-19 pandemic, as opposed to losing their jobs.

To add fuel to the fire, as the summer travel demand skyrockets, several airlines and airports worldwide continue to struggle to staff up quickly enough to handle the influx of passengers.

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Featured image: Volotea EC-MUU Airbus A319-111. Photo: Lorenzo Giacobbo/Airways

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