European airline CEOs expect to see fewer operational disruptions this summer than they experienced in the summer of 2022, even though social unrest has caused flight delays and cancellations across the continent in recent weeks and labor groups have announced more strikes. A cabin crew union of the Portuguese branch of easyJet plans to strike from April 1 to 3, a TAP Air Portugal pilots’ union has threatened industrial action from April 7 to 10, and Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 employees screening passengers and cargo have called a strike to last from March 31 until April 9. Also, French air traffic controllers have announced further work stoppages in protest of French pension reforms.
“The summer [2023] will be significantly better in Europe than last summer was, but that does not mean it will be easy,” said Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary, speaking at the Airlines for Europe (A4E) summit on Wednesday in Brussels. While airports have done “a tremendous” job at re-staffing, he expects “materially worse” air traffic control disruption than airlines experienced last year because of limitations in European airspace due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and industrial action by air traffic controllers, mainly in France. French controllers called strikes for three days in the first three months of 2022 and 23 days in the first three months of this year.
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