Another Black Friday for Italian travelers who will have to catch a plane today. In fact, they add up in a single day different strikes that risk blocking the Italian skies and to cause great inconvenience to passengers.
In addition to the Ryanair pilots, grappling with a real pitched battle with the Irish company, the air traffic controllers of Enav and the employees of the Spanish low-cost company Vueling will also stop. 77 flights already canceled by Alitalia.
AIRCRAFT STRIKE: RYANAIR
Started by Ryanair, after the controversy on the company's threats to workers who will decide to join the protest and the harsh reaction of the Italian government through the mouth of ministers Calenda, Delrio and Poletti.
“Ryanair – reads a note issued today by the company – it will change its long-standing policy of not recognizing unions in order to avoid any threat of disruption of service to its customers and its flights by the pilots' unions during the Christmas week. Ryanair is now calling on these pilots unions to stop the threatened actions for next Wednesday 20th December (when pilots stop in Germany and Ireland, ed.), “so that our customers can expect to come home for Christmas without the threat or concern” of pilot strikes.
A few hours later came the response from the national association of pilots Anpac "having today received a formal communication from Ryanair, signed by the Chief of Staff Eddie Wilson, which expresses Ryanair's intention to start a negotiation process formal with the representation of the seagoing personnel set up by Anpac and to formally recognize the undersigned professional association as trade union interlocutor for personnel operating on Italian bases, suspends the first 4-hour strike action of all seagoing personnel in line with the provisions of current legislation – pilots and flight attendants – of the Ryanair company called” for today from 13 pm to 17 pm. Anpac communicates it in a note, specifying that immediate and extensive information will be given on the suspension that has taken place.
It is therefore not clear the adherence to the protest. The pilots who decide to go ahead will strike for 4 hours, from 13 to 17 on Friday 15 December.
The event was called, for Italy, from Fit Cisl union and Anpac in order to protest against "the system that Ryanair insists on adopting is no longer sustainable and needs a serious confrontation with those who represent the workers".
AIRCRAFT STRIKE: ENAV
In the same time slot, and therefore from 13 am to 17 pm, another protest is planned involving i ENAV flight controllers, called by Fit Cisl and Ugl Air transport.
AIRCRAFT STRIKE: ALITALIA
At the moment they turn out to be 77 flights already canceled by the Italian company who makes it known that he has activated an extraordinary plan aimed at limiting the inconvenience during the strike.
“Following the agitation proclaimed by some trade unions of the air traffic controllers for Friday 15 December (13pm to 00pm), there may be some changes to the schedule of Alitalia flights”. This is what we read on the Alitalia website, which however specifies that 80% of travelers will still be able to fly in the day"
Alitalia also invites those who have purchased a plane ticket for today, December 15, to "check the status of your flight before going to the airport, On the site alitalia.com, by calling the toll-free number 800.65.00.55 (from Italy) or the number +39.06.65649 (from abroad), or by contacting the travel agency from which they purchased the ticket”.
It will be possible change the reservation without paying any penalty or request a refund of the ticket in the event that one's flight was involved in the strike and suffered cancellations or delays of more than 5 hours.
The protest involving Alitalia was called by the Cub Trasporti union according to which the extraordinary commissioners who manage Alitalia want “the liquidation of the former national airline and the fragmentation of workers to hit their wages and worsen their conditions”. The union has called another 24-hour strike, again for today, from 00.01 to 23.59.
AIRCRAFT STRIKE: VUELING
Possible inconvenience also for passengers who have chosen the Spanish company Vueling. Also in this case there is a strike by the flight crew for a duration of 4 hours, from 10 to 14.
AIRCRAFT STRIKE: ENAC
4-hour strike also for i ENAC executives.
The Civil Aviation Authority advises that "all flights, including charter flights, scheduled to depart in the time slots 7.00 / 10.00 and 18.00 / 21.00 in addition to all charter flights to/from the islands duly authorized or notified prior to the date on which the strike was declared". The airlines have already warned passengers about the inconvenience and possible schedule changes for flights scheduled during the protests.
Enac has also published a list of guaranteed flights.
Yesterday must have been a hot day for Ryanair, even if those who end up paying for it, i.e. the passengers, must always be taken into account.
In this regard I would like to suggest the site http://www.risarcimentovolo.it/ which could be useful for those who have encountered inconveniences such as the cancellation of their flight and want to understand if there is the possibility of obtaining a refund for the ticket.