Hundreds of flights have been canceled today at the main Italian airports as a result of the strike of the ENAV controllers and the pilots of some of the main low cost airlines, such as Ryanair, Vueling, Ita, Wizz Air, Easyjet and Volotea.
Ita Airways, on the entire network, has provided for the overall cancellation of 122 flights due to the agitation proclaimed by the flight controllers and has activated an "extraordinary plan to limit the inconvenience of passengers", rebooking as many as possible on the first available flights of travelers involved in cancellations: 50% will be able to fly today.
Out of a total of about 450 aircraft movements departing today at the Rome airport of Fiumicino, about fifty are currently canceled, almost exclusively on internal or European routes.
In the'
At the Marconi airport in Bologna there are about forty, about twenty arriving and departing, the flights canceled, while in the Bari airport there are at least 37 and at Turin Caselle at least 20. The strike, initially called for the whole day, was limited to four hours - from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm - by the Guarantor, but the negative effects on air transport are occurring in a wider time range, which began before 12 and reaches until 19.00.
The flights involved are both national and international, and the airlines involved are not only low cost airlines but, to a lesser extent, also Ita Airways and British Airways.
Today's strike will cost airline companies around 7 billion euros, with carriers having to pay over 2 billion euros to passengers only by way of reimbursements and refreshments provided for by the law.
This was stated by Codacons, recalling the official guide on the rights of travelers.
"Even in the event of a strike, the airlines are required to recognize the assistance and compensation provided for by the European regulation
261/04 to passengers who are canceled the flight - explains the president of Codacons, Carlo Rienzi - Who will not be able to reach the holiday destinations due to today's strike also have the right to ask travel agencies, tour operators and accommodation facilities for a full refund of the amount paid for the services not used, on the basis
of the principle of "force majeure" and the rules of the civil code, and may take action against airlines, also asking for non-pecuniary damage from "ruined vacation" up to 5 thousand euros per traveler ". Codacons also announced that it has activated a platform aimed at helping citizens in the management of reimbursement and compensation practices.