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STRIKES

LATEST: Austrian Airlines cancels 400 flights ahead of Easter strike action

Austrian Airlines announced on Tuesday it has had to cancel around 400 flights after cabin crew confirmed a strike action this week. Some 50,000 passengers are likely affected.

Published: 26 March 2024 14:22 CET
LATEST: Austrian Airlines cancels 400 flights ahead of Easter strike action
Aircraft of Austrian Airlines taking off at Vienna's International Airport in Austria (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

Austrian Airlines (AUA) cabin crew workers have announced a 36-hour strike starting midnight on Wednesday night until midday on Friday, as The Local reported. Around 50,000 passengers will be affected, the company said.

Both the company and the trade union representatives have said they are still willing to negotiate to avoid planned strike action.

But, talks show no signs of reaching a deal, and there are no signs a compromise will be made in time to prevent the strike on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

So, AUA decided to “preemptively” cancel the flights that would be affected by the strike, said AUA spokesperson Sophie Matkovits.

“After a total of 17 rounds of negotiations, the vida union and the works council still do not want to discuss our offer of a pay increase of up to 18 percent for flight attendants and pilots, and even up to 28 percent for co-pilots. With this offer, the company has already moved beyond the economically feasible threshold”, the spokesperson said.

“No further talks have taken place since last Sunday, so the employee representatives have decided against finding a joint solution,” she added. 

“We cannot leave our passengers in uncertainty until the last minute. That is why we have just had to decide to cancel around 400 flights on March 28th and until midday on March 29th. We are proactively informing the approximately 50,000 passengers affected. Passengers are also asked to check their flight status on the austrian.com website. “

AUA had also announced a “one-off” option of rebooking to flights operated by Lufthansa Group airlines (the company’s parent company) or cancelling their flight free of charge. “This can be done simply and easily via the profile under “My bookings”, via our Austrian App or the Austrian Chatbot”, AUA said on its website.

READ ALSO: What are your rights if your trip is delayed or cancelled in Austria?

Typically, either choice would incur fees with values depending on the fare type and itinerary.

Why is there no deal?

Details on the pay negotiations are scarce, with the company and union representatives often contradicting each other. 

“We are ready to negotiate at any time,” Vida trade unionist Daniel Liebhart told Kurier newspaper on Monday. 

“We have told AUA that they just have to come here”, he said.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Austria in April 2024

Both sides appear to be far from an agreement over pay rises.

For example, according to Kurier, the Vida union is demanding a pay rise starting at 16.94 percent for certain employees (such as senior flight attendants) and up to 49.48 percent for co-pilots. An industry expert consulted by the newspaper said that the average salary increase for foreign airlines was 9.52 percent.

Other demands by union members include more paid leave (42 calendar days from the sixth year of employment) and specifics regarding the hotels the crew stays, such as a requirement that they have a pool and fitness area and be located near the airport for waiting times of up to 12 hours otherwise in the city centre.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but among many questions that remain is the situation for non-EU nationals who live in the EU or Schengen zone.

Published: 27 April 2024 07:59 CEST
Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is not unlikely) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is basically an enhanced passport check at external EU borders, including a facial scan and fingerprinting.

You can find a full explanation of the new system HERE.

Travellers crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities including that facial scan and fingerprinting.

There are, however, several groups exempt from EES and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

So if you’re a foreigner living in the EU or Schengen zone, here’s what you need to know.

Exempt

One of the stated aims of EES is to tighten up enforcement of over-staying – IE, people who stay longer than 90 days in every 180 without a visa, or those who overstay the limits of their visa.

Obviously these limits do not apply to non-EU nationals who are resident in the EU or Schengen zone, which is why this group is exempt from EES checks. They will instead be required to show their passport and residency permit/visa when crossing a border, just as they do now.

In its explanations of how EES will work, the European Commission is clear – exempt groups include non-EU residents of the Bloc.

A Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

How this will work

How this will work on the ground, however, is a lot less clear.

Most ports/airports/terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It does seem clear that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths. However it is not clear whether these will be available at all airports/ports/terminals or how non-EU residents of the EU will be directed to those services.

There’s also the issue that individual border guards are not always clear on the processes and rules for non-EU residents of the EU – even under the current system it’s relatively commonly for EU residents to have their passports incorrectly stamped or be given incorrect information about passport stamping by border guards.

Brits in particular will remember the immediate post-Brexit period when the processes as described by the EU and national authorities frequently did not match what was happening on the ground.

The Local will continue to try and get answers on these questions. 

READ ALSO What will EES mean for dual nationals

What if I live in the EU but I don’t have a visa/residency permit?

For most non-EU citizens, having either a visa or a residency permit is obligatory in order to be legally resident.

However, there is one exception: UK citizens who were legally resident in the EU prior to the end of the Brexit transition period and who live in one of the “declaratory” countries where getting a post-Brexit residency card was optional, rather than compulsory. Declaratory countries include Germany and Italy.

Although it is legal for people in this situation to live in those countries without a residency permit, authorities already advise people to get one in order to avoid confusion/hassle/delays at the border. Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a residency card than it is now.

Our advice? Things are going to be chaotic enough, getting a residency permit seems likely to save you a considerable amount of hassle.

Delays 

Although residents of the EU do not need to complete EES formalities, they will be affected if the new system causes long queues or delays at the border.

Several countries have expressed worries about this, with the UK-France border a particular cause for concern.

READ ALSO Travellers could face ’14 hours queues’ at UK-France border

Where does it apply?

EES is about external EU/Schengen borders, so does not apply if you are travelling within the Schengen zone – eg taking the train from France to Germany or flying from Spain to Sweden.

Ireland and Cyprus, despite being in the EU, are not in the Schengen zone so will not be using EES, they will continue to stamp passports manually.

Norway, Switzerland and Iceland – countries that are in the Schengen zone but not in the EU – will be using EES.

The full list of countries using EES is: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Therefore a journey between any of the countries listed above will not be covered by EES.

However a journey in or out of any of those countries from a country not listed above will be covered by EES.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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