Traveler strikes in Europe: Flight and train disruptions you can expect in May

Strikes are common in Europe, with employees suspending work to fight for better pay and working conditions.

Walkouts are sometimes planned months in advance, but others are announced at the last minute, showing that it always pays to check before traveling.

Fortunately, we have gathered all the information about the strikes below.

Read on to find out where and when the walkouts are taking place.

If your flight or train is canceled or delayed, you will be entitled to a new ticket or compensation. Read our guide for all the details.

UK: Heathrow Border Force workers strike in April and May

After Border Force workers in London Heathrow Airport organized a walkout earlier this month, a smaller “work to rule” strike between May 3-18 could cause further disruption as staff only do the bare minimum required by their contract.

The UK’s largest airport is bracing for another strike in May, as almost 800 staff from various departments could walk out over outsourcing plans. The strike was initially scheduled to start on May 7 but was suspended for two days to allow negotiations. If no agreement is reached, it will now take effect May 9****-13 and this could cause serious disruption.

Gatwick Airport: catering strikes canceled

Passengers on easyJet and TUI flights departing from London Gatwick Airport will no longer go hungry as Dnata catering workers have reached a deal with the airlines, guaranteeing the restoration of their shift allowances and their full salary arrears.

Around a hundred workers, including truck drivers and warehouse workers, threatened to walk out for 12 days in April and May.

Train strikes in May

Train drivers on some of the UK’s busiest commuter lines will go on strike from May 7-9 in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions.

Different operators will withdraw on different days, including c2c, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway and Thameslink and Southern on Tuesday; Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, Chiltern, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, GWR and West Midlands Trains Wednesday; and LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express on Thursday.

Members of train drivers’ union ASLEF are also taking part in an overtime ban from May 6 to 11, which will likely lead to cancellations on some lines.

Iceland: threat of strike at Keflavík airport

Keflavík airport workers threatened to strike May 9-12 if a labor dispute is not resolved.

Flight disruptions are expected as security officers plan a series of four-hour stops each day, from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. An indefinite ban on overtime for union members from 4 p.m. on Thursday could cause further disruption.

Italy: train strikes cause disruption across the country

Trenitalia and Trenord will be hit by a national strike on May 19 when the engine personnel come out.

Other regional train strikes are planned in Naples on May 10, in Friuli Venezia Giulia on May 17 and in Liguria on May 27 and 28, among others.

where engine personnel will cease work for 23 hours, from 03:00 on May 19 to 02:00 on May 20.

France: Vueling staff on strike during public holidays

French cabin crew and the SNPNC-FO and CGT unions threaten to strike May 8-12. 90 percent of cabin crew and 95 percent of flight attendants are expected to participate.

The walkout will affect flights on Spanish budget airline Vueling. The dispute over working conditions could continue next month if workers’ demands are not met.

Could strikes hit the Paris Olympics?

CGT-RATP unionists have announced a seven-month strike notice, from February 5 to September 9, which could affect the Île-de-France bus and metro network, including during this summer’s Olympic Games.

However, the French Senate passed a bill on April 9 authorizing the state to ban transport strikes each year for specified periods to avoid disruptions during major events like Paris 2024. It also calls for a earlier warning of strikes and an increase in minimum service obligations.

The bill faces opposition and must be passed by the French National Assembly before becoming law.

Workers at the state-owned public transport company say they are walking off the job because of pay.

Germany: threat of train strike ends

On March 25, Deutsche Bahn reached a agreement with the German train drivers’ union GDL, thus ending five months of negotiations and strikes.

The agreement means GDL will refrain from any strike action until at least February 2026.

If you know of a major strike in your country that we missed, we’d love to hear from you via Twitter.