Travel

Air travel in Italy hit by nationwide strike

Multiple unions representing airport staff went on a nationwide strike Friday over pay disputes and other working conditions. The industrial action will impact airport handling, security, aviation, and other support…

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Flights cancelled in fresh round of strikes at German airports

BERLIN, March 17 (Reuters) - Strikes at four German airports led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Friday in the latest bout of industrial action to disrupt travel…

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No departures at Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg airports as security staff strike

BERLIN, March 13 (Reuters) - Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg airports said no commercial flights would take off on Monday due to a strike by trade union Verdi over pay. "Due…

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U.S. pressures airlines to commit to ending family seating fees

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - Three U.S. airlines agreed to commit in writing to eliminating family seating fees if adjacent seats are available during booking, the U.S.…

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Airports, airlines rein in summer plans to avoid repeat of last year’s chaos

By Allison Lampert, Joanna Plucinska and Toby Sterling (Reuters) - Airports are taking steps to avoid gridlock during the upcoming holiday travel seasons, with some limiting flights during peak hours…

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Germany’s Verdi union plans strikes at two regional airports

BERLIN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Germany's Verdi union is planning strikes at two regional airports, Cologne Bonn and Duesseldorf, and several cities in the western state of North Rhine Westphalia,…

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Wizz Air named the worst airline for short-haul flights

Wizz Air has been named the worst airline for short-haul flights in a survey ranking providers. Customers shamed the carrier for repeated delays, in a survey carried out by consumer…

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Airports see smoother summer travel than 2022 but brace for headaches

By Allison Lampert and Joanna Plucinska Feb 17 (Reuters) - Global airports expect smoother travel this summer as staffing improves, but surging passenger demand during peak periods in Europe and…

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UPDATED: 24-hour strike at German airports on Friday

BERLIN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Strikes planned at seven German airports for Friday will lead to "massive disruptions", the operator of the country's largest airport, in Frankfurt, said in a…

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U.N. aviation agency forecasts rapid growth in passenger demand in 2023

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The United Nations' aviation agency forecast global air passenger demand in 2023 will rapidly recover to pre-pandemic levels on most routes by the first quarter and that…

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European airports traffic almost doubles year-on-year but still lags behind 2019

Traffic at European airports almost doubled year-on-year in 2022 but remained below pre-COVID levels, Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) said on Tuesday. Last year's traffic jumped 98% compared with…

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Ryanair posts record after-tax profit for Christmas quarter

Ryanair on Monday posted its largest after-tax profit for the October-December quarter and said it was likely to face robust demand for Easter and summer 2023 flights. The Irish airline,…

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France extends mandatory COVID tests for Chinese travellers until Feb 15

PARIS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - France has extended mandatory COVID tests for travellers from China until Feb. 15, a government decree published on Saturday showed. While Chinese officials have said infections have…

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Strike over pay at Berlin airport grounds all flights -operator

BERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Staff at Germany's BER airport in capital Berlin went on strike to press their pay demands on Wednesday and the airport operator said all regular…

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Air finance summit tackles jet shortages amid China travel thaw

Financiers at the centre of a $200 billion industry underpinning worldwide airline fleets are meeting in Dublin this week, gambling that China's long-awaited decision to free travel will accelerate their…

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Ryanair is closing Brussels Airport base -Belga

Ryanair is closing its Brussels Airport base, Belgian press agency Belga reported on Wednesday, quoting local union ACV Puls. It said 59 jobs could be at risk. The Irish low-cost…

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Bed nights in EU booked online up 9% in 2022

During the third quarter of 2022, which included the traditional summer holiday months of July and August, guests spent around 251 million nights in short-term rental accommodation in the EU,…

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Netherlands, Malta and Portugal to require negative COVID test from China air travellers

The Maltese, Dutch and Portuguese governments on Friday joined a growing number of nations requiring air passengers arriving from China to show a negative COVID-19 test upon entry. On Friday,…

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Airline, airport groups slam EU push for pre-flight COVID testing from China

LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A coalition of airline and airport groups on Thursday criticized new recommendations asking for passengers flying from China to the European Union to show a negative COVID-19…

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Spain to require travellers from China test negative for COVID or be fully vaccinated

MADRID, Dec 30 (Reuters) - People travelling from China to Spain will be required to test negative for COVID-19 or prove they have been fully vaccinated against the disease, Health Minister Carolina…

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European airports see cautious passenger recovery with 2023 uncertain

By Joanna Plucinska and Sudip Kar-Gupta BRUSSELS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - A full recovery in airline passenger volumes in Europe has been pushed back to 2025 from 2024, the body representing European…

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French train guards to go ahead with Christmas, New Year strike -union

PARIS, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Train guards at France's state-owned railway operator SNCF decided on Monday to go ahead with a strike planned for the Christmas and New Year weekends,…

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UK’s airport security 100ml liquid rule to be scrapped

Some security rules on liquids and items such as laptops in airport hand luggage are set to be scrapped by the British government. The British government has set a deadline…

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Heavy snow disrupts UK travel; three boys die after falling into lake

By Alistair Smout and Kylie MacLellan LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Heavy snowfall blanketed parts of Britain on Monday, disrupting airports, train networks and roads, and three young boys died after falling…

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Airfares on key routes to rise by as much as 25% in 2023 – Amex GBT

Australia-Asia economy class fares among biggest gainers Domestic North America fares to rise 3%, within Europe by 5.5% Global airline capacity to recover to 92% of 2019 levels By Jamie…

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British troops training at Heathrow and Gatwick airports ahead of Border Force strikes

Troops have been training at Heathrow and Gatwick airports for passport checking roles ahead of Border Force staff going on strike over Christmas. The Ministry of Defence confirmed to Sky…

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UK interior minister warns of Christmas airport delays due to strikes

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Britain's interior minister Suella Braverman warned on Thursday that planned strikes by border force workers at major airports including Heathrow and Gatwick over the Christmas…

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UK airports face Christmas disruption as border staff to strike

LONDON (Reuters) - Border Force workers at several major British airports including the country's busiest, Heathrow, will go on strike for eight days this month in a dispute over pay,…

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Ryanair hails ‘very strong’ recovery with record summer profit

Ryanair on Monday posted its largest ever after-tax profit for its key summer season and said it expected very strong passenger and fare growth for years to come as customers…

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Tourism revenues on the mend in Mediterranean countries

Even if the number of visitors has still not quite recovered to pre-pandemic levels, Mediterranean countries are enjoying a much-needed boost as inflation and a strong sector recovery lift this…

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Wizz Air Malta to commence operations today

Wizz Air Malta has been granted an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and an Operating Licence (OL) by the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate…

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Flights cancelled as French air traffic controllers on strike

PARIS, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Airlines cancelled half of flights scheduled for Paris on Friday and many others that would have flown over France, as a strike by air traffic…

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UPDATED: Air France cancels 55% of short, medium-haul flights Sept. 16 due to strike

PARIS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A strike by French air traffic controllers will cause Air France to operate only 45% of its short and medium-haul flights on Friday, Sept. 16,…

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EU Set To Suspend Visa Travel Agreement With Russia – FT

EU foreign ministers are this week set to back a suspension of the bloc’s visa facilitation agreement with Moscow in an effort to curb the number of travel permits issued…

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Lufthansa limits ticket sales amid travel chaos

BERLIN, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Germany's Lufthansa said on Thursday it would offer only around 80% of pre-crisis passenger capacity in the third quarter, less than previously planned, amid staffing shortages at airports…

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Lufthansa cancels over 1,000 flights due to ground staff walkout

German airline Lufthansa is cancelling more than 1,000 flights in and out of its Frankfurt and Munich hubs in the coming days due to a strike by ground staff on Wednesday. Some 134,000…

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UK regulators tell airlines: minimise flight disruptions or face action

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - Britain's competition and aviation regulators warned airlines on Thursday of potential enforcement action if travellers faced more flight disruptions and cancellations through the summer. The warning comes…

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London’s Heathrow airport caps departing passengers at 100,000 a day

London's Heathrow said it would cap the number of departing passengers at 100,000 a day this summer to try to limit traveller disruption as it struggles to cope with a rebound in demand.…

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Heathrow apologises for poor service, could ask for more flights cuts

LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - London's Heathrow Airport apologised for unacceptable service in recent weeks, with long queues, delays for those with reduced mobility and baggage issues, as it struggled to cope…

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TUI forecasts record tourist demand for Greece this year

ATHENS, July 10 (Reuters) - Holiday group TUI expects the highest level of demand for Greece on record this year, its director of Communications Aage Duenhaupt told Athens news agency on Sunday.…

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UPDATED: British Airways’ Heathrow staff suspend strike after better pay offer

July 7 (Reuters) - British Airways' check-in staff at London's Heathrow airport has suspended a strike, labour unions said on Thursday, after the airline agreed to improve pay as it deals with…

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Frankfurt Airport operator says staff shortages may mean months of disruptions

FRANKFURT, July 6 (Reuters) - Frankfurt Airport, Germany's busiest air transport hub, is unlikely to see relief for a crippling staff shortage in the coming months, its operator Fraport said. "The problem will…

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Brussels Airlines to cancel 700 flights over summer holiday

The Belgian subsidiary of Lufthansa , Brussels Airlines, is cancelling close to 700 flights over the summer holiday period, around 6% of those scheduled, to reduce workload and avoid strikes, the airline said on Monday. "We are meeting…

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China to loosen entry restrictions on U.S. citizens, transit via 3rd country now permitted

July 1 (Reuters) - China will loosen entry restrictions on U.S. citizens, allowing entrance in case of transit via a third country, notices issued late on Friday by the Chinese embassy in…

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Millions hit the road, skies, for U.S. Fourth of July holiday

The number of people traveling by car and airplane for the Fourth of July holiday is expected to climb near pre-pandemic levels, a test for U.S. airlines that have struggled…

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More flight cancellations from British airports

Frustrated travellers face more flight cancellations over the coming weeks, as airlines rush to re-work their schedules. The upheaval comes in response to last month's announcement that an amnesty will…

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Luggage piles join long airport lines in fresh woes for summer travel

Piles of luggage beside baggage belts in airports from Canada to Europe are driving further demand for ground handlers, and adding to summer travel chaos as airlines scramble to bring…

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Europe’s summer travel chaos

Strikes and staff shortages are forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights and causing hours-long queues at major airports, dashing hopes of a sizzling first summer after COVID lockdowns. …

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Poland reaches deal with air traffic controllers, avoiding flight chaos

WARSAW, June 29 (Reuters) - Poland has reached an agreement with air traffic controllers in a dispute over pay and conditions, the head of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) said…

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UPDATED: German air controller fixes problems after travel disruption warning

BERLIN, June 29 (Reuters) - German air traffic controllers have fixed technical problems which had disrupted European travel on Wednesday, air traffic control firm DFS said. "From 9 a.m., we will resume work with 100% of air…

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Germany seeks foreign workers for airports amid summer travel crunch

BERLIN, June 27 (Reuters) - Germany wants to bring in foreign workers as quickly as possible to relieve airports overwhelmed by staff shortages during the busy summer season, an Interior Ministry spokesperson…

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EasyJet cuts more flights to try to manage disruption

Low-cost airline easyJet said on Monday it was cutting thousands more flights this summer after London Gatwick and Amsterdam airports reduced capacity and it battled staff shortages on the ground…

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A look at Europe’s summer travel chaos

Strikes and staff shortages are forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights and causing hours-long queues at major airports, dashing hopes of a sizzling first summer after COVID lockdowns. Here's…

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Analysis – Europe’s summer of discontent reveals travel sector labour crisis

AMSTERDAM/PARIS/DOHA, June 19 (Reuters) - After 21 years as a service agent at Air France AIRF.PA, Karim Djeffal left his job during the COVID-19 pandemic to start his own job-coaching consultancy. "If this…

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Ryanair CEO says summer fares will be up 7%-9% on 2019 levels

Ryanair Group Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on Tuesday bookings at Europe's biggest budget airline are strengthening and he expects summer fares to be between 7% and 9% higher than pre-pandemic…

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Air travel in Italy disrupted due to strikes

Travel to and from Italy may be affected on Wednesday as flight crew from Ryanair, EasyJet and Volotea will strike. Travellers flying in and out of Italy may face travel…

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UK says it will work with aviation industry to solve travel chaos

LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - British transport minister Grant Shapps said on Sunday the government would work hard with the aviation industry to avoid a repeat of the chaos at airports last…

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