Airline strike July 17, over half a million Italians involved

Airline disruptions are characterizing the summer of 2022. Canceled flights, delayed flights and airline strikes, in fact, are ruining the holidays of millions of Italians, who have chosen the fastest means to reach the chosen tourist destination to spend a few relaxing days at the seaside.

Adding to the already present and significant inconveniences suffered by travellers, there is the imminent strike on Sunday 17 July, which will involve, according to an estimate of ItalyRefund, over half a million Italian passengers who will suffer disruption due to the air strike.

The strike was called due to the lack of staff compared to the actual workload, also considering the significant increase in air routes, which led to a tripling of the number of disruptions compared to the month of May. However, Enac has released the note with the guaranteed flights, also specifying the time slots for the strike protection on July 17 for passengers, scheduled from 7 am to 10 am and from 18 pm to 21 pm.

Airlines have begun to cancel flights affected by the strike on Sunday, July 17, in advance. In most cases, airlines do not provide assistance, offering an alternative flight to the passenger, as required by Community Regulation 261/2004.

So the traveler finds himself in a situation of total difficulty, with expenses already incurred and the risk of a ruined beach holiday. In the event of an air strike, the passenger is not entitled to financial compensation, but can buy himself a new alternative flight at his own expense, even with a different airline than the one initially chosen.

These sums paid out due to the air strike can be reimbursed, as well as the expenses for any other means of transport used to reach the initially planned destination, any extra hotel nights and meals on the days in which the air strike was caused.

"The tourism and aviation sectors - says Felice D'Angelo, CEO of ItaliaRimborso - have returned to travel and therefore also to fly. Especially in recent months, delays and cancellations are increasingly frequent, as are strikes. From the beginning of 2022 to today, there are five dates in particular that have been affected by strikes and now a new date is scheduled, set for Sunday 17 July, which will certainly affect many thousands of passengers, who travel for work, health, but above all also for vacation".

The administrator of the young startup, which provides free assistance to passengers, victims of flight disruptions, clarifies the rights of the traveler in the event of a strike: "The passenger may suffer a delay or cancellation of the flight. In the latter case, the traveler, if not re-protected by the air carrier with a new flight, can certainly replace the airline and bear all the expenses to reach the pre-established destination, which can then be reimbursed with a flight reimbursement procedure. In the event of a strike, the passenger is not entitled to the financial compensation provided for by Community Regulation 261/2004, a sort of flat-rate flight compensation from 250 to 600 euros, but only and exclusively the reimbursement of the expenses to reach the pre-established destination".

“ItaliaRimborso provides an assistance service – Felice D'Angelo reminds the many passengers who have already used the services, totally free of charge – to all those passengers who suffer an air disruption. It does so free of charge with the method, which is called litigation funding, therefore at zero cost to the passenger”.

To contact ItaliaRimborso and report a strike disruption, you can do so by reporting the disruption directly, via email info@italiarimborso.it, contact the switchboard 06 56548248, or more simply fill out the form on the homepage of the website.

Further details on reimbursement of expenses incurred during the air strike can be found at the following link: air strike refund.