ROME – Following Covid layoffs across airports in Europe, this summer, aiport disruptions are only due to worsen. Those travelling by plane for their summer holidays will face significant inconvenience in light of the 41,000 routes that have already been cancelled, with at least 7,000 of those cancellations in Italy, reported the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. 

 Staff shortages and strikes have led to complete chaos and immense queues for airline passengers across airports this summer. Flight cancellations and delays have continued to hit most major European airports for months, leaving passengers stranded. 

 Enrico Giovannini, Italy’s infrastructure and mobility minister has spoken of a “dramatic lack of personnel” due to dismissals during lockdown that is to blame for the dire disruptions. 

 Italian passengers have been told by the Italian Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility to travel light this summer to save time queuing amid disruptions. 

 A four-hour national strike is set to take place in Italy on Sunday July 17, though the impact of the strike on air traffic is not yet known. 

 Up to Friday July 15, another 2 thousand flight cancellations are expected across Europe. 

 An analysis carried out on the first nine days of July and collected by the Hopper algorithm illustrates the airports hit the hardest by recent disruptions. The ranking, published by Bloomberg, put Brussels Airport at the worst affected with 72 percent delayed flights and 2.5 percent cancelled flights. Among the worst were Frankfurt International airport with 68 percent delays and 7.8 percent cancelled flights, and Luton Airport in fourth worst position with 66 percent delays and 2.7 percent cancelled flights. Gatwick airport came in as the tenth worst with 59 percent delays and 1.4 percent cancelled. None of Italy’s airports were listed in the ten worst affected. On the contrary, Bergamo / Orio al Serio Airport came out as the best airport in Europe for punctual departures with 3 percent delays and 1 percent cancelled. Fontanarossa Airport in Catania was the fifth most punctual with 16 percent delays and 1.1 percent cancelled. Rome's airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino, were not listed in neither the worst nor the best concerning delays and cancellations. 

 Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) said it had communicated with all national airports so that passengers are given “appropriate and immediate assistance” in the event of delays and cancellations in the country.

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