EU - 50,000 Tourists Affected As Ryanair Strikes (Video)

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In what has become a regular feature of any holiday period in Europe now, the continent’s biggest low cost airline Ryanair entered into another 24-hour walk-out of its staff in Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Some 50,000 passengers, mostly tourists, are understood to have been told of cancellations on some 400 flights, leading to many angry social media comments.

Ryanair is grappling with major strikes for the first time in its 30-year history https://t.co/AbWzOwKT9T pic.twitter.com/BcesUIIXZx

— Bloomberg (@business) August 10, 2018

When Ryanair was introduced in Europe several years ago, people went crazy for it.

Related coverage: France - strikes and travel chaos results in passenger violence on Easyjet flight (Video).

Flights at about a fifth of regular prices to major cities’ airports (or airports near them) for city-trips were all the rage. But when competitors entered the market (Norwegian, Vueling, Easyjet, Wizzair, …) offering better work conditions, a lot of their personnel jumped ship.

#GME | Ryanair pilots in Germany are striking for 24 hours today and forcing the cancellation of 400 flights.

We are joined from Schönefeld Airport by our Berlin correspondent, @JessicaSaltz1. https://t.co/Rve1LoJ3Pb pic.twitter.com/CRElsn4hOy

— euronews (@euronews) August 10, 2018

Ryanair held onto their Irish working conditions and even though you were employed elsewhere, the personnel had to sign an Irish contract. Since a year or so, this has resulted in mass walkouts and regular strikes from its personnel who have become aware that others are offering better conditions.

@pinkygooner @bbcsoutheast passengers stood at the gate waiting to board there aircraft when the announcement all ryan air flights had been cancelled. Everyone is on there phones looking for another flight.we had to wait an hour trapped at the gate b4 being bussed to the exit pic.twitter.com/xufQIXAfCL

— Kent Solar (@Kentsolar) August 10, 2018

At the same time, Ryanair introduced several extra charges to its pricing model which infuriated it’s loyal customer base.

Whereas your basic fare is still cheap, you now have to pay extra to (1) sit next to your spouse or (2) bring luggage. The total brings it mostly even to a Vueling or Easyjet flight which means that although the others are not offering as many destinations as Ryanair does, the loyal customers have started looking elsewhere.

Related coverage: Germany emergency landing leaves 33 hospitalized (Video).

Europe's largest low-cost carrier averted widespread strikes just before Christmas 2017 by finally agreeing to recognize unions for the first time in its 30-year history, but this time round it had no way to avoid them.

How is the #Ryanair strike affecting travel out of Berlin? @lars_halter gives us his first read from Berlin Schönefeld. #SXF @berlinairport pic.twitter.com/f18Y192Yg9

— DW - Business (@dw_business) August 10, 2018

As people want to be sure they are able to go or return on holidays, Ryanair has seen its popularity plummet in recent weeks and months.

Today’s strikes and subsequent reporting in European press won’t help.

Source:

news.sky.com/story/hundreds-of-ryanair-flights-cancelled-over-european-strikes-11468135