axe

easyJet travel warning as strikes to axe 500 flights next month

EASYJET is set to be disrupted by staff walkouts next month – with flights to and from the UK expected to be cancelled.

The airline’s cabin crew in Portugal have voted to strike on two separate occasions across October and December.

Passengers boarding an EasyJet plane at Gatwick Airport, England.
easyJet cabin crew in Portugal are set to strike next month – and again in December Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Members of the SNPVAC union have announced walkouts from October 2–6 and again in December on 19–23.

The strike will affect flights from busy airports including Lisbon, Porto and Faro.

From the UK, easyJet operates flights to Portugal from the likes of Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Manchester and Newcastle.

The union has estimated that the strike in October alone could ground around 500 scheduled flights overall.

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This is likely to include 35 return flights to and from the UK.

A spokesperson from the airline added: “We are extremely disappointed that SNPVAC is planning strike actions despite our willingness to continue a constructive dialogue.

“We had just started a conciliation process through the mediation of DGERT with the aim to reach an agreement to meet our employees’ requests and protect the sustainability of easyJet business in Portugal.

“The current union demands are unworkable especially given that our crew are already paid significantly above the Portuguese national average.

Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

Collage of travel items including a plane, sunscreen, passport, suitcase, and plane tickets, advertising The Sun's travel Instagram account.

“We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of the strike on our customers including actioning some cancellations in advance to allow our customers to rearrange their travel plans.”

Cabin crew workers for the airline in France previously held strikes between August 15 and 16.

Last month, easyJet pilots, again in France, staged a walkout across two days in September.

Members of the SNPL pilots’ union staged the strike over a pay dispute between September 13-14.



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Dianne Buswell addresses Strictly Come Dancing ‘axe’ fears amid pregnancy

Dianne Buswell has addressed the notion that she could have been axed from Strictly Come Dancing when she was pregnant as bosses decided to add fresh talent to the show

Dianne Buswell has insisted she never worried about getting the axe from Strictly Come Dancing while she was pregnant. The TV star, 37, has served as a professional on the BBC Saturday night favourite for almost a decade and in March, she and her partner Joe Sugg became parents to son Bowden.

Around the same time, as part of a huge revamp, bosses also axed long-standing professionals Karen Hauer, Gorka Márquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas in favour of new talent.

But now Dianne has insisted that whilst there is always a slight worry that she won’t be asked back to the programme, she wasn’t particularly concerned that she would be axed amid the “bloodbath” because of how much support she had received from the BBC in the first place.

She said: “We’re so lucky to be there every single year and you’re never guaranteed that you’ll be back. Of course, you always hope, but they’re putting on a show, and sometimes they will have to change it up.

Speaking to The Sun, she added: ““You always think: ‘Am I going to be back or not?’ But because of how supportive they were to me when I was pregnant and talking about me coming back, I didn’t feel like they would do that [axe her]. They were very aware that being a working mum while still dancing was possible and they wanted to accommodate that.”

This year’s Strictly Come Dancing will have a different feel entirely, with brand news hosts Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe having taken the reins from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

Dianne claimed that the decision of new presenters was “quite genius” and opined that if bosses had simply chosen two women, it would only lead to comparisons of Tess and Claudia. When it comes to the new trio Dianne said she is particularly excited to talk all about babies with Emma Willis, who previously trained as a maternity care assistant and has also fronted Emma Willis: Delivering Babies.

The star competed on Strictly Come Dancing last year alongside Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis, who eventually had to withdraw from the show over an injury, but prior to that Dianne was subject to criticism for performing whilst pregnant.

On her Instagram Stories, she shared a comment from a viewer that read: “I get so uncomfortable watching Dianne run down the stairs in heels, cartwheel and do tricks while pregnant.

“Your centre of gravity is off while you’re pregnant, just takes one slip to fall on the precious bump. She is a true professional and fabulous dancer but I think it might have been wise to sit this season out. She is 36 so classed as advanced maternal age mother regardless of how fit she is, I think BBC made a mistake here,

They continued by noting that Amy Dowden also took part in the BBC competition last year whilst facing health issues, adding: “It just doesn’t make sense. Like it didn’t make sense to give Amy a celebrity partner last year and look what happened there.” Fed up, Dianne shared her own thoughts as she reposted the comment, writing: “I have honestly had enough of comments like these.”

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EasyJet to axe all flights from major European airport this year

An EasyJet airplane parked at a gate at Oslo Airport.

EASYJET is set to pull out of a major European airport, cancelling all flights.

The budget airline announced earlier this week that it would be ending all flights from Leeds Bradford Airport in January 2026.

Harstad-Narvik Airport with its control tower and terminal buildings, surrounded by green grass and forested mountains under a cloudy sky.
EasyJet is cancelling all flights to Oslo International Airport Credit: Alamy

However, it is also cancelling its remaining flights from a major airport in Norway.

easyJet currently operates flights between Oslo Airport and Manchester; however these will be scrapped later this year.

According to TravelMole, this works out to around 11,000 one-way seats a month, or 61 flights from the airport.

Having already axed all routes to Oslo from Paris and Milan, the Manchester route will follow suit by October 23.

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This is after eight years of operating to the Norwegian airport.

This just leaves Tromso and Harstad-Narvik as easyJet‘s only airports in Norway.

An easyJet spokesperson told Sun Travel: “Following a review of the route, easyJet can confirm that from 23 October it will no longer operate flights between Manchester and Oslo.

“We concentrate our efforts on maintaining and developing routes which prove most popular with customers, focusing on offering routes with the greatest demand, and we continue to serve customers in the UK with flights to Tromso and Harstad-Narvik from airports across the UK including London Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh.”

An EasyJet airplane parked at a gate at Oslo Airport.
EasyJet is axing a number of routes across Europe this summer Credit: Alamy

Other airports that easyJet has pulled out of recently is Istanbul Airport back in March, as well as Milan Bergamo and Stockholm Arlanda last year.

It comes just days after easyJet confirmed that they would be pulling out of Leeds Bradford Airport.

After 16 years of flying to the UK airport, all flights will stop from January 5, 2026.

Routes from the airport currently include Barcelona, Majorca and Malaga, along with Paris, Geneva and Belfast.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “Our focus is on maintaining and developing routes which prove most popular with customers.”



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