Chaos at US and European airports as flights cancelled and workers strike

Posted by David Henning on 5 July 2022

South Africa may have had its share of airline crises with the failure of Comair’s business rescue and the ongoing plight of SAA, but it is not alone.

More than 2 000 flights to, from, or within the United States were cancelled between Thursday 30 June and Sunday 3 July, with a peak of 657 flights cancelled on Saturday alone.

Picture: Pexels

Americans were gearing up for the 4th of July Independence Day celebrations and there was a surge in demand for flights over the holiday weekend. But more than 7 800 flights were delayed on Friday, reports CNN, adding that a third of United Airlines flights were delayed, and a quarter of Delta’s.

On Friday, 2 490 490 passengers were screened at airports, more than the number of passengers screened pre-pandemic in 2019, which saw 2 184 253 passengers. Off-duty Delta pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, picketed at the carrier’s hubs on Thursday to protest the slow progress of contract negotiations, demanding improvements in pay retirement and job protections.

US airlines received $54 billion in funding from government to weather the pandemic which could have been used to retain staff, workers argue, prompting former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders to propose steep fines on airlines for “avoidable” flight cancellations.

The flight chaos was not exclusive to the US. Some European Union countries and the United Kingdom have also seen airline strikes during the past week.

Airlines on strike

Airport workers in France staged a walkout from 30 June until Sunday 3 July, demanding increased pay to keep in line with inflation. Scores of airport ground staff protested in front of the terminal buildings at Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport on 1 July.

In Spain, Ryanair flight attendants announced that they will strike for 12 days over the busy summer holiday season this July, reports Al Jazeera. The striking days are July 12-15, 18-21, and 25-28 across the 10 Spanish airports where Ryanair operates.

Thousands of Italian airline workers walked off the job on 7 May, demanding better pay and working conditions. Further flight disruptions are expected in the UK following chaos in May, which saw 200 flights into the UK cancelled over the weekend of 13-15 May.

Hundreds of British Airways workers at Heathrow Airport have voted to go on strike in July over pay, with unions currently consulting engineers and call centre staff at Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle airports.

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