Ryanair pilots’ strike on 22 – 23 August and a 72-hour strike on 2 September
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Ryanair passengers are facing the prospect of five days of disruption in late August and early September after talks to avert strike action by UK-based pilots broke down.
Ryanair pilots who are members of Balpa, the British pilots’ trade union, have voted to stage five days of strikes in the peak summer holiday period.
They plan a 48-hour strike from 00:01 on 22 August until 23.59 on 23 August, and a 72-hour strike from 00:01 on 2 September until 23.59 on 4 September.
British media reports that it’s not possible to say in detail, but the fact that the striking pilots are all based in the UK indicates that flights to and from UK airports will be the only ones affected. That suggests that passengers using Stansted, Ryanair’s main UK base, can expect some disruption.
Ryanair said that less than 50 per cent of Ryanair’s UK pilots are members of Balpa and of these 57 per cent voted in favour of industrial action, which meant less than 30 per cent of its pilots had backed the action.
So many flights will still go ahead. Ryanair typically drafts in replacement pilots in such situations, so expect the Irish airline to do everything it can to minimise the disruption.
