Factbox: Europe’s travel disruption looms over Easter

April 3 (Reuters) – Europe is bracing for another round of strikes affecting airlines ahead of a busy Easter travel season, as the number of passengers traveling globally recovers to pre-pandemic levels.

Since last summer, strikes and staff shortages have forced European airlines to cancel thousands of flights to avoid long queues at major airports, and some disruptions persist.

Here is a summary of some of the developments:

BRITAIN

** British Airways reduced its flight schedule due to planned strikes by London Heathrow airport employees during the Easter holiday weekend

FRANCE

** Ryanair expected cancellations or delays on flights to and from France between March 30 and April 8 due to ongoing French air traffic control strikes.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary called for measures to prevent chronic French air traffic control strikes analyzing thousands of passengers.

GERMANY

** Strikes at Duesseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Baden-Baden led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights on March 17

** Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg airports canceled all commercial flights due to strike action on March 13

PORTUGAL

** EasyJet Plc (EZJ.L) cabin staff in Portugal completed a three-day strike that started on April 1 to demand higher wages to compensate for the soaring cost of living

SPAIN

** Pilots for Spanish airline Iberia Regional Air Nostrum voted to go on indefinite strike amid a wage dispute with the company.

Air Nostrum said pilots called for a strike every Monday and Friday from Feb 27.

** Swissport handling workers called for a 24-hour strike from Feb. 27 to April 13 every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 17 Spanish airports, UGT union said.

HIRING AND INCENTIVES

** Iberia, IAG’s (ICAG.L) Spanish airline, planned to hire a total of 2,145 staff in the first half of the year to be able to handle the Easter travel rush and the summer season

** In Italy, ITA Airways averted strikes after an undisclosed wage increase accord with unions in end-February

Compiled by Tiago Brandao

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