Alert for UK tourists as Greece travel disruption 'could leave 12,000 stranded'

Around 70 to 80 flights from the UK are expected to be cancelled, which could leave between 11,200 and 12,800 British travellers stuck.

Air traffic controllers in Greece are planning to stop all flights next Wednesday in a 24-hour strike during the busy Easter holiday period.

The strike has been organised by the public sector union ADEDY, which says it is struggling to keep up with demand because of old equipment and not enough staff.

The Greek Air Traffic Controllers' Association told The Independent: "Sadly, air traffic control in Greece is in poor shape. We don’t have enough staff or working equipment, which has caused lots of delays in recent years—and there will likely be more this year."

The strike is expected to affect 70–80 flights from the UK, disrupting trips with easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, and TUI Airways, according to AirAdvisor.

Anton Radchenko, an aviation expert and the founder of AirAdvisor, warned: "[Greece's] airspace is a ticking time bomb, especially for people hopping between islands.

“Air traffic control strikes are especially disruptive because without ATC, planes can’t take off, land, or fly safely through the skies.”

More than 20 easyJet flights are set to be cancelled, along with over 15 from British Airways and Ryanair, and more than 10 from TUI Airways. Other airlines affected include Aegean Airlines, Air France, and Lufthansa.

The cancelled flights were meant to leave from airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Birmingham, and head to popular Greek destinations including Athens, Heraklion, Thessaloniki, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Corfu.

Travellers who were due to connect through Greece before flying to places like the Middle East, Asia, or Australia are also expected to be affected.

Although it’s very inconvenient, passengers won’t get financial compensation because strikes like this are considered “extraordinary circumstances” that airlines can’t control.

However, under EU rules, anyone affected should still get free meals, a place to stay if needed, and transport to and from the airport.

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