cancellations

More than 780 flights were scheduled to depart from Sydney Airport on Tuesday, with almost 140 of these flights expected to face delays of about 45 minutes

Passengers at three major Australian airports have been warned of flight disruptions amid strong winds.

Several flights leaving from Sydney were cancelled on Tuesday, August 11, with more delays expected throughout the day.

A spokesperson for the airport told a local news site: “Strong winds are affecting operations at Sydney Airport and flight delays are expected throughout the day.”

Passengers were advised to check the latest status of their flight before heading to the airport.

A spokesman for carrier Qantas also told the news site that that two flights from Melbourne and one from Brisbane were cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

Passengers on the flights have been rebooked onto other services.

More than 780 flights were scheduled to depart from Sydney Airport on Tuesday, according to Airservices Australia’s daily plan.

Almost 140 of these flights are expected to face delays of about 45 minutes, a local news outlet reported.

The ground delay program will be in place until 2pm due to the strong winds.

A Melbourne Airport spokesman said it had also been hit with delays and cancellations, though operations remained “relatively normal”

Close to 620 flights were scheduled to depart Melbourne Airport on Tuesday. Almost 200 flights will face delays, according to the Airservices Australia plan.

The travel disruptions come after two passenger jets narrowly avoided a ground collision at Sydney Airport and major flight delays throughout the weekend.

The close call followed days of chaos for thousands of travellers through the hub, as control tower staffing issues delayed more than 100 international and domestic flights.

Pilots and cabin crew are set to strike on Sunday, with passengers facing cancellations and delays

EasyJet passengers with travel plans should keep a close eye on their apps and emails for any last-minute updates arising from strike action in a popular holiday destination. Those flying to or from Italy on Sunday, July 5, face the risk of delays and cancellations.

Travel expert Kate Donnelly (@Thedonnellyedit) has reminded anyone who has trips booked to or from the European destination with the airline to monitor their inboxes carefully, as the situation could change at short notice. It comes as airline workers walk off the job this weekend, July 5.

She said: “If you’re travelling to Italy on July 5, you may well already be aware that multiple strikes are set to take place involving air traffic control and ground handling staff. But, now another one has been added to the calendar.”

Reports have confirmed that EasyJet’s Italian operation will strike on Sunday, July 5, with flights expected to be disrupted throughout the entire 24-hour period. According to the Strike Tracker website, the issue will last until midnight, with normal service expected to resume from Monday, July 6.

It says: “EasyJet pilots and flight attendants in Italy will stage a 24-hour national strike on July 5 (00:00-23:59), called by FILTCGIL, FITCISL, UILTUIL, UGL Trasporto Aereo and ANPAC. Flights to/from Italian airports may be cancelled or delayed. Travellers should check flight status with the airline.”

Kate points out that this is an airline-specific issue, meaning it “won’t matter which airport you are arriving or departing from”. Any flight booked through EasyJet could potentially be affected, reports the Express.

She said: “If you are on an EasyJet flight, it could be impacted on this date. With this particular strike action, there is obviously the risk of delays, but also a higher risk of flight cancellations.

“Airlines will obviously do what they can to try and minimise disruption. Make sure you keep an eye on your app notifications and your emails because, if they do make changes ahead of the date, you will be notified directly by them first.”

Can I get compensation if EasyJet cancels my flight due to strike action?

If EasyJet reschedules your flight as a result of their own Italian pilots or cabin crew walking out, you are legally entitled to compensation. Internal staff strikes are not regarded as extraordinary circumstances.

If the airline can prove that your flight was rescheduled due to Air Traffic Control closing the skies or the airport’s baggage handlers staging a walkout, this is considered an “extraordinary circumstance”. In this case, you will receive a refund or be rebooked, but no additional compensation.

Even where the airline is not at fault, EasyJet is still legally obliged to take care of you. If your rescheduled flight leaves you stranded at the airport or stuck in Italy overnight, they are required to provide:

• Free food and drink vouchers
• Free hotel accommodation
• Free transport between the hotel and the airport

To claim compensation or expenses from easyJet for a delayed or cancelled flight, you must submit a claim directly through the official easyJet Compensation Claims Portal or the easyJet Expense Claim Form. You will need your booking reference and your exact flight number.

Travel expert Simon Calder has explained the rights of British Airways and easyJet passengers after numerous flights were cancelled

Travel expert Simon Calder has issued a stark warning to British Airways (BA) and easyJet passengers, telling them they ‘will not be getting any cash’ after thousands found their flights axed over the weekend. Hundreds of services were thrown into chaos following a bout of thunderstorms, with Heathrow and Gatwick bearing the brunt of the disruption.

On Saturday alone, more than 900 inbound and outbound flights were delayed — some by as much as 11 hours — with dozens cancelled outright. South-East England and North-West Europe were among the worst-hit regions.

Travel expert Mr Calder said the chaos had left approximately 40,000 passengers ‘stranded’. He broke down exactly what passengers are entitled to when flights are delayed or cancelled, and precisely what obligations airlines have towards them, reports the Express.

What are your rights?

Mr Calder said: “It has been a miserable Saturday for 30,000 or more passengers on British Airways to and from London Heathrow and EasyJet in and out of Gatwick. The reason? Thunderstorms in the London area have caused air traffic control restrictions, and as those airports are operating at full stretch, especially on Saturdays in summer, unfortunately there’s no slack in the system, and the biggest airlines at those airports have no option but to cancel flights.”

“BA’s cancelled around 100, including an Airbus superjumbo going to and from Los Angeles. EasyJet has cancelled 82, including some really long ones to Hurghada in Egypt and also Antalya in Turkey.

“Under air passenger rights rules, the airline must get you to your destination as soon as possible, including booking a flight on another airline if necessary. Meanwhile, they have to provide you with hotel accommodation and meals as necessary until they can get you where you need to be. You will not, though, be getting any cash compensation. Good luck, everybody.”

What happened?

Mr Calder continued: “200+ flights cancelled today on British Airways to/from Heathrow and on easyJet to/from Gatwick, with 35,000 passengers stranded.

“Under air passengers’ rights rules, they are entitled to be flown to their destination as soon as possible on any airline, plus meals/hotels as appropriate.

“Dozens more flights cancelled on Sunday to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports by British Airways and easyJet due to poor weather”.

“(It) follows more than 200 grounded flights on Saturday (and) brings the number of passengers whose flights have been cancelled this weekend to around 40,000.”

In an updated statement on Saturday afternoon, NATS said: “Severe thunderstorms across the south east of England and Europe continue to impact flights, and this is expected to continue for the remainder of today and overnight.

“To ensure the safety of the travelling public, aircraft need to avoid affected areas and be spaced further apart, which limits the number of flights that can operate safely.

“We understand disruption is frustrating, but we’re working closely with airlines and airports to reduce disruption as much as possible.

“Passengers should continue to contact their airline for the latest information on their flight.”

A NATIONWIDE strike across a European country today has already resulted in hundreds of flights being cancelled.

The walkout has affected public transport workers including train staff and cabin crew across Portugal.

The strikes follow a proposed labour legislation change, which they claim are an  “assault on workers’ rights”.

Airlines have been forced to cancel flights already, with TAP Portugal warning earlier this week that 500 flights would be cancelled and only 79 flights would be running.

Nearly 100 flights have been cancelled to and from Lisbon Airport already.

This includes a number of UK arrivals and departures including:

GROUNDED

Major strike action to affect entire European country TOMORROW including flights

GROUNDED

Two European airports cancel ALL flights at short notice due to unexpected strike

• 7:20am Lisbon to London Heathrow with British Airways
• 10:05am London Heathrow to Lisbon with British Airways
• 11am Lisbon to London Heathrow with British Airways
• 2:30pm London Heathrow to Lisbon with British Airways
• 3:15pm Lisbon to London Heathrow with British Airways
• 4:25pm Lisbon to London Heathrow with British Airways
• 11pm London Heathrow to Lisbon with British Airways

EasyJet and Ryanair flights are yet to be affected, but more may be cancelled throughout the day.

Nearly 60 flights to and from Porto Airport have been cancelled, including Ryanair flights, although no UK routes have been affected yet.

Faro Airport is also seeing cancellations , affecting around 40 arrivals and departures.

These include:

• 6:50pm London Gatwick to Faro with British Aiways
• 7pm Leeds to Faro with Ryanair
• 7:35pm Faro to Leeds with Ryanair
• 7:40pm Faro to London Gatwick with British Airways

Along with cancellations, there are lots of delays as well.

easyJet warned passengers that passengers should expect “some disruption” throughout the day.

They told Sun Travel: “Due to a national strike in Portugal on 3 June, like all airlines operating to and from the country we can expect some disruption to our flying programme. 

“We will be doing all we can to minimise the impact of the strike action and will contact customers directly with their options if their flights are affected.

“While this is outside of our control we are sorry for any inconvenience this strike action may cause.”

Other public transport services are also being affected in the country.

Lisbon Metro said no train services will run at all today, wile the Porto Metro will have “limited services”

The strike could also cause problems in the coming days due to a knock on effect.

The AHLA said hotels spent years preparing and have made “significant investments” based upon official projections.

A study commissioned by Fifa,, external released last year, predicted that in the US the World Cup could create 185,000 jobs, adding $17.2bn (£12.7bn) in gross domestic product.

The hotels were planning for an influx of international travellers, who book longer stays with a higher spend.

But the AHLA said fewer overseas fans “threatens the broader economic impact” with just over three weeks until the opening game on 11 June.

The AHLA said the large-scale bookings made by Fifa in all cities “shaped revenue forecasts, staffing plans and preparations”.

It said this booking policy “manufactured artificial demand” and masked the fact that tourist flow is going to be lower than predicted.

Up to 70% of rooms reserved by Fifa in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle have been cancelled, the AHLA said.

In a statement Fifa rejected the AHLA’s claims and said it had followed agreements made with hotel chains.

“All room releases were conducted in line with contractually agreed timelines with hotel partners – a standard practice for an event of this scale,” a Fifa spokesperson said.

“In many cases, room releases were made ahead of established deadlines to further accommodate requests from hotels.

“Throughout the planning process, Fifa’s accommodations team maintained consistent discussions with hotel stakeholders, including room block adjustments, agreeing to rates, confirming room types and regular reporting, supported by townhall and ongoing communication.”

Prices spiked after the draw was made, as soon as fans knew which cities their teams would be in.

There has been a gradual fall since then, reportedly by a further 20% in recent weeks.

But this could be too late to entice fans back.

Hotel prices in cities like Boston are still more than $300 (£224) a night, and most fans are working to a lower budget.

Chris Hancock, an England fan who has been to four World Cups, told BBC Sport that his group of five are travelling on an accommodation budget of $75 (£56) per person per night.

They will hire a car in each city and book a mix of hotels and Airbnb accommodation between 45 minutes to an hour away.

“We always tend to stay out of town a little bit and cut the cost that way, so we’re not in the middle of Dallas, Boston or New York,” Hancock said.

“If you’re out of the city centres where everything’s happening, you can get some cheaper deals.

“We’re working within that budget. And at the minute we should be well under that.”

The AHLA told BBC Sport it “expects occupancy to strengthen in June and July”.

“We know that many fans are still waiting on tickets and schedules to become clearer before finalising plans,” a spokesperson said.

“We believe bookings will pick up in the weeks ahead. Hotels are ready to welcome guests and ensure that they have the best possible experience.”

Airbnb says the World Cup is on course to be the “biggest hosting event in Airbnb’s history”, overtaking the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.

Hotels might need to rely on making gains in the knockout rounds, when fans have to make bookings at short notice.

But the World Cup seems unlikely to bring in the revenue that was being predicted.