Travel

European Airports Face Holiday Travel Chaos as Staff Stage Strikes

Published

3 months ago

December 16, 2025

Airport workers across Europe are walking out in protest of the “Grinch-style behaviour” of low-paying employers, threatening to disrupt travel during the busy Christmas season. The strikes come as staff push for better pay, improved working conditions, and job security, targeting a period when millions travel for holidays.

In Italy, coordinated walkouts are planned on 17 December, involving ground handling staff, airline crew, and air traffic controllers. The four-hour strike, from 1 pm to 5 pm, will include ENAV air traffic controllers at Rome airport, Assohandlers staff covering major airports, employees of ITA Airways, and ground staff for Vueling, Air France, and KLM. Officials warn that disruption may extend throughout the day, causing flight delays and longer check-in and baggage queues at airports in Milan, Rome, Venice, Naples, and Catania.

In the UK, London airports are preparing for a series of strikes around Christmas. From 19 to 22 and 26 to 29 December, easyJet ground staff at Luton Airport will walk out, affecting check-in and baggage handling. London Heathrow Airport is also facing potential disruptions as Scandinavian Airlines Services (SAS) cabin crew plan to strike from 22 to 24 and on 26 December. Flights to major Scandinavian hubs, including Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo, may experience delays or cancellations.

Workers cite low pay as a key reason for the action, with union Unite noting that some staff have been forced to rely on food banks while working at expensive Scandinavian destinations. “This is real Grinch-style behaviour from SAS – it is taking advantage of the goodwill of its staff and will now be responsible for cancelled Christmas flights,” said Callum Rochford, Unite regional officer.

Spain is also seeing ongoing travel disruptions due to strikes at Ryanair’s ground handling partner, Azul Handling. Since the summer, staff have staged weekly walkouts over working conditions, bonuses, and job security. Strikes will continue until 31 December on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during early morning, midday, and late-night shifts. Passengers flying from Alicante, Barcelona-El Prat, Girona, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Madrid-Barajas, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tenerife South, and Valencia can expect longer queues and delays with check-in and luggage collection.

Travel experts advise passengers to check the status of flights before heading to airports, as some walkouts are announced only days or hours in advance. Those affected by cancellations or delays may be entitled to alternative tickets or compensation.

With strikes coinciding with one of the busiest travel periods of the year, passengers are urged to allow extra time for check-in, baggage handling, and security procedures to avoid last-minute chaos.

Travel

Airlines Adjust Middle East Operations as Muscat Becomes Key Transit Hub

Published

7 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Web Reporter

Airlines across the Middle East and beyond are adjusting flight schedules and arranging special services as ongoing regional tensions and airspace closures disrupt normal travel routes.

Oman’s national carrier has emerged as a major provider of relief flights for travellers attempting to leave the region. Muscat International Airport in the Omani capital has become a central transit point for passengers who could not depart from the United Arab Emirates because of restricted airspace.

Oman Air said it had operated nearly 80 additional flights over the past week and assisted more than 97,000 passengers returning home. The airline said it plans to increase services where possible to meet demand.

Additional bus services have also been arranged to help travellers crossing the land border from the UAE into Oman so they can board onward flights from Muscat. The airline said most of its international routes covering Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa are continuing as scheduled.

However, several services have been suspended. Oman Air confirmed that flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab would remain cancelled between 9 and 15 March.

Elsewhere in the region, Qatar Airways has begun operating a limited number of repatriation flights through Hamad International Airport in Doha after more than a week of disruption linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

The airline has published temporary schedules for selected departures and arrivals over the coming days, including flights to destinations such as Seoul, London Heathrow, Delhi, Madrid, Islamabad, Beijing, Nairobi and Perth. The company said the services were arranged to help stranded travellers and do not represent a full return to normal commercial operations.

Authorities in Qatar reported that up to 8,000 passengers had been stranded in the country during the disruption. The government provided hotel accommodation and extended visas for affected travellers.

Airlines in the United Arab Emirates have also begun restoring operations. Emirates said it expects to return to full capacity in the coming days as regional airspace gradually reopens. The Dubai-based airline carried about 30,000 passengers out of the city on Thursday while operating a reduced schedule.

A drone attack near the terminals of Dubai International Airport briefly halted operations on Saturday morning. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion followed by black smoke rising above the airport. Flights resumed later the same day.

Etihad Airways has also restarted a limited schedule from its base at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. The airline plans to serve more than 70 destinations between 6 and 19 March while gradually rebuilding its network.

Several international airlines are also making adjustments. British Airways has scheduled extra flights from Muscat to London Heathrow for passengers stranded in Oman or the UAE. Finnair is preparing special flights from Muscat to Helsinki to carry around 1,200 travellers who had been waiting in Dubai.

Other carriers including Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa Group have suspended or modified services to a number of Middle Eastern destinations while monitoring the security situation and airspace restrictions.

Travel

Gulf Airlines Gradually Resume Flights as Regional Airspace Partially Reopens

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Web Reporter

Airlines across the Gulf have begun restoring limited flight operations after parts of Middle Eastern airspace reopened following more than a week of disruption caused by the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Flights resumed cautiously on Sunday morning at Hamad International Airport in Doha. Euronews correspondents observed at least six Airbus and Boeing passenger aircraft departing after Qatar Airways announced it had begun operating limited services through a designated safe corridor.

Several of the aircraft did not appear on the aviation tracking site Flightradar24 during departure, suggesting their transponders were switched off as a safety precaution. However, the site briefly showed the aircraft taxiing for take-off, with one flight displaying Frankfurt as its destination.

Qatar Airways said the flights were part of repatriation efforts to help travellers leave the region after days of airspace closures and cancelled services.

“After more than a week of airspace disruptions due to the conflict between US-Israel and Iran, Qatar Airways confirmed that it had operated repatriation flights on Sunday,” the airline said, noting departures to Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, London and Zurich.

The airline said additional flights were scheduled to arrive in Doha from Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Zurich and Muscat on Monday. However, it stressed that the services remain restricted.

“These flights are only for passengers whose final destination is Doha and do not constitute a confirmation of resumption of scheduled commercial operations,” the company said.

The disruption has left thousands of travellers stranded. Around 8,000 passengers were reported to be stuck in Qatar, with the government covering hotel costs and extending visas while travel arrangements are made.

Elsewhere in the region, major Gulf carriers are slowly rebuilding their schedules. Emirates and Etihad Airways have both restarted limited flight operations following the partial reopening of airspace in the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai-based Emirates said it is gradually restoring its global network and expects to return to full capacity in the coming days, depending on airspace availability.

Etihad Airways has also restarted a reduced flight schedule from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. The airline said it planned to operate flights to more than 70 destinations between 6 and 19 March while prioritising travellers whose journeys were disrupted earlier in the crisis.

Regional aviation has also faced further challenges. Operations at Dubai International Airport were briefly suspended on Saturday morning following a drone attack near the main terminals. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing black smoke rising above the airport before services resumed several hours later.

Airlines across the world have adjusted schedules or suspended routes to the region while monitoring security conditions. Several carriers are operating special repatriation flights or rerouting passengers through alternative hubs as travel demand slowly begins to recover.

Travel

Gulf Airlines Resume Limited Flights as Airspace Slowly Reopens Amid Regional Conflict

Published

2 days ago

March 7, 2026

Web Reporter

After six days of airspace disruptions caused by the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, Gulf carriers are gradually resuming operations. Etihad Airways announced it is restarting a limited flight schedule from Abu Dhabi, while Qatar Airways will operate a relief corridor from Doha to several European destinations.

Emirates has said it expects to return to full flight capacity in the coming days. Following a partial reopening of regional airspace, the Dubai-based airline has operated a reduced schedule, carrying around 30,000 passengers from Dubai on Thursday. By Saturday, Emirates will run 106 daily return flights to 83 destinations, covering nearly 60% of its network.

“The airline anticipates a return to 100% of its network within the coming days, subject to airspace availability and the fulfilment of all operational requirements,” Emirates said in a statement on Friday. “Safety, as ever, remains paramount as is our duty of care.” Passengers with earlier bookings are being accommodated as a priority. In high-demand markets, Emirates has scaled up operations, including 11 daily flights to the UK across five airports, 22 daily flights to nine Indian destinations, and service to seven US cities.

Dubai Airports reported facilitating more than 1,140 flights at Dubai International and Dubai World Central over the past 84 hours, providing 105,000 outbound seats to over 80 countries between 2-5 March.

Etihad Airways will also resume flights to more than 70 destinations between 6 and 19 March, allowing previously booked passengers and new travelers to fly, provided safety requirements are met.

Qatar Airways announced that, following approval from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, it will operate repatriation flights from Hamad International Airport to London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, and Frankfurt. Priority on these flights has been given to stranded passengers, elderly travelers, families, and those with urgent medical needs.

Other airlines are adjusting operations amid ongoing restrictions. British Airways has scheduled flights from Muscat to London for existing customers, while Finnair plans special flights from Muscat to Helsinki to transport around 1,200 passengers in Dubai. Virgin Atlantic resumed flights from Dubai and Riyadh to London Heathrow, and Air Arabia has restarted limited services to destinations including Austria, Egypt, India, Italy, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

Many carriers continue to face airspace closures. Oman Air has cancelled flights to multiple Gulf and Middle Eastern destinations until 8 March. Saudia, Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa Group, Delta, American Airlines, and Air Canada have also suspended or adjusted flights across the region.

Chinese airlines, including Air China and China Southern, are resuming flights to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE and assisting with evacuations. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that “the situation in the Middle East remains complex and severe, with considerable uncertainty,” following the transport of 300 citizens from Dubai on Wednesday.