Thousands of travelers across Europe are facing a bruising February as a fresh wave of aviation strikes and chronic staff shortages collide with winter weather and already stretched air traffic control systems. From Germany and Italy to Belgium, Greece and France, airports and airlines have cancelled or delayed hundreds of flights in recent days, with more disruption expected around mid February. For anyone with a ticket into, out of, or across Europe, understanding where, when and why these walkouts are happening is now essential to salvaging travel plans.
What Is Happening Across Europe Right Now
Europe’s aviation network entered February under pressure from a combination of structural staffing gaps, seasonal storms and renewed industrial disputes. That pressure has now tipped into outright turmoil as unions representing pilots, cabin crew, ground handlers and air traffic controllers launch or threaten coordinated strikes. Germany has joined Italy, Belgium, Greece and France in staging or announcing action that hits core hubs and key short haul routes, leading to cascading knock on delays as aircraft and crew end up out of position.
In Germany, a nationwide strike at Lufthansa on 12 February targeted both pilots and cabin crew, prompting mass cancellations at Frankfurt and Munich, two of Europe’s busiest transfer airports. The action, called by unions over pay and workload, forced the flag carrier to pare back its schedule, leaving thousands of passengers scrambling for new routings or overnight accommodation. With these hubs serving as essential connection points between Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North America, the disruption quickly rippled beyond Germany’s borders.
Italy is bracing for further turmoil on 16 February, when major aviation unions plan a 24 hour strike at ITA Airways and associated ground operations. Authorities and travel analysts warn that up to 220 domestic and international flights may be cancelled, impacting Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate and other key airports on a day that sits in the middle of the winter holiday season. This action builds on earlier February disruption caused by air and rail strikes, adding extra uncertainty for travelers heading to ski resorts and business hubs.
France, Belgium and Greece are adding to the pressure cooker. A 48 hour strike by French air traffic controllers on 9 and 10 February forced hundreds of cancellations and widespread delays, especially at Paris Orly and Marseille, after regulators ordered airlines to cut schedules. Belgium continues to be vulnerable to national union movements that frequently hit Brussels and Charleroi airports, while in Greece, periodic walkouts by aviation and transport unions have added sporadic but significant disruption to domestic and island services.
How Many Flights Are Affected and Where Disruptions Are Worst
Exact numbers shift by the hour as airlines rework schedules, but several snapshots illustrate the severity. In France alone, strike action and knock on issues in early February triggered hundreds of delays and dozens of cancellations across major airports, on top of a Europe wide picture that has already seen thousands of disrupted flights this month. On some days, tracking services have counted more than two thousand delayed departures across the continent, with average holdups of close to an hour at key hubs.
Germany’s Lufthansa strike has caused a concentrated hit at Frankfurt and Munich, where dozens of long haul and intra European sectors were pulled from the timetable or merged. As these hubs serve as connecting points for airlines in the Star Alliance network, passengers flying between non German cities may unexpectedly transit in other hubs such as Zurich, Vienna or Amsterdam, or face overnight stays. Even travelers on airlines not directly involved in the strike have reported missed connections due to congestion and crew rotation problems.
In Italy, the planned nationwide action involving ITA Airways is expected to affect not only the carrier’s own network but also partner airlines relying on Italian airports for onward connections. Rome Fiumicino, a major gateway between Europe and Latin America as well as a core Mediterranean transfer point, is likely to see significant thinning of services. Low cost carriers operating from Milan Bergamo, Naples and other secondary airports may also adjust schedules as air traffic control capacity is reduced and airport operations become more complex.
Belgium’s main hub, Brussels Airport, is familiar with large scale union actions that can lead to a very high proportion of flights being grounded or rescheduled and has warned in the past that national strikes can result in hundreds of cancellations on a single day. Charleroi, a crucial base for budget airlines, has previously halted all departures during national protest days, and similar patterns remain a risk whenever unions call walkouts that include airport staff or air traffic controllers. Travelers using Brussels as a gateway to or from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Southern Europe should factor in this volatility.
Why Workers Are Striking: Pay, Staffing and Systemic Strains
While immediate grievances differ by country, most of the current strike threats share a common backdrop: a European aviation system struggling to rebuild after the pandemic in the face of inflation, staff shortages and rising demand. Many unions argue that wage offers have not kept pace with the cost of living and that staff are being asked to handle denser schedules with fewer colleagues, leading to fatigue and safety concerns. Cabin crew and pilots say their rosters have become more unpredictable, with limited rest and pressure to accept short notice changes.
Air traffic controllers, particularly in France and parts of Southern Europe, emphasize chronic understaffing and ageing infrastructure. They argue that delays and last minute flight restrictions are a symptom of a system that has not invested enough in recruitment, training and modernization. French controllers have repeatedly warned about retirement replacement policies and staffing levels, underscoring that even small perturbations can cause the network to seize up. Similar complaints are heard in Italy and Greece, where unions say years of austerity have left control centers stretched thin.
Ground handling and airport staff are also at the center of disputes. Baggage handlers, security screeners and check in agents in Germany, Belgium and other countries have staged or threatened walkouts over pay scales, use of temporary contracts and pressure to work overtime. Given that these roles are essential to turning aircraft around quickly, any shortage can cause rapid accumulation of delays, particularly in winter when deicing adds extra pressure and runway capacity can be reduced by poor weather.
For airlines and airports, the strikes come at a difficult time. Many carriers ended 2025 still repairing balance sheets battered by the pandemic and high fuel prices. They argue that significant pay rises across the board would jeopardize investment in new aircraft and sustainability initiatives. Industry groups also point to external factors such as airspace closures linked to geopolitical tensions, and continued capacity restrictions in some control centers. However, passengers caught in the middle see only long queues, cancelled flights and limited transparency, fueling frustration and political pressure for more robust regulation of strikes affecting critical infrastructure.
Which Travelers Are Most at Risk
Not all itineraries are equally exposed to the February turmoil. Passengers flying point to point between large non hub airports on carriers with limited footprint in Germany, France or Italy may manage to avoid the worst of the disruption. By contrast, those relying on multi leg connections via Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Brussels or major Italian airports are considerably more vulnerable, especially if their tickets combine different airlines or were booked through third party platforms.
Short haul flights within Western Europe remain particularly sensitive because they are heavily dependent on air traffic control capacity and crew availability, and often operate with minimal slack. It is far easier for an airline to delay or cancel a one hour hop than a full long haul service that might be fully booked with transfer passengers. This means travelers on domestic routes in France, Italy and Germany and on popular city pairs such as Paris to Barcelona or Frankfurt to London face a higher probability of last minute changes, even if strikes are officially localized.
Budget airline passengers, including those flying from Belgium and Greece on low cost carriers, may experience sharper pain when disruption hits. While these airlines are often adept at reworking schedules, they tend to operate dense networks with quick turnarounds and little extra aircraft capacity. If one rotation is cancelled, it can affect several subsequent flights. Additionally, passengers who bought the cheapest fares may find that rebooking options are more limited or that refunds do not cover the cost of purchasing last minute alternatives on other carriers.
Travelers heading to or from major events, ski resorts or winter sun destinations face an added layer of risk. Italy’s February strikes coincide with peak flows to Alpine gateways and ongoing preparations for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic region, tightening capacity on alternative flights and trains. Greece, while less busy in winter than summer, still sees important domestic and regional connectivity that can be hard to replace when ferries and internal flights are also occasionally hit by industrial action or bad weather.
Practical Steps to Protect Your Trip
With an uneven patchwork of strikes and delays, the first line of defense is information. Travelers should monitor their airline’s app or website closely from at least 72 hours before departure, as carriers generally load schedule changes and proactive cancellations as soon as they receive directives from regulators or finalize negotiations with unions. Many airlines now offer free rebooking within a defined window when industrial action is announced, allowing passengers to shift their trip by a day or reroute via a different hub before flights fill up.
Building extra buffer time into itineraries is crucial, especially for journeys involving connections. Where possible, avoid tight connections under two hours within Europe when transiting airports that are currently exposed to strikes, such as Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Brussels or key Italian hubs. If your journey involves a long haul segment, consider scheduling an overnight stop rather than same day transfer, which reduces the risk that a delayed feeder flight causes you to miss an intercontinental departure.
Travelers should also think in multimodal terms. On certain routes, especially between major European capitals, rail offers a robust alternative when short haul flights are at risk. High speed trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and some German cities can be competitive in terms of total journey time once airport queues and security screening are taken into account. In Italy and France, long distance and regional trains may serve as a backup if domestic flights are pulled. However, it is important to remember that rail services can themselves be affected by national strike movements, so flexibility remains essential.
Finally, consider your luggage strategy. Whenever significant disruption looms, traveling with carry on only can dramatically increase your chances of being rebooked swiftly and reaching your destination with everything you need. If you must check bags, keep essentials, medications and at least a day’s change of clothes with you. Retain all receipts for meals, accommodation and alternative transport in case you are later able to claim reimbursement or compensation under European passenger rights rules.
Your Rights Under European Passenger Protection Rules
For flights departing from the European Union, as well as flights to the EU on EU based carriers, passenger rights are generally governed by the bloc’s air passenger protection regulation. While the details can be complex and subject to interpretation by national authorities and courts, the basic framework offers important safeguards when strikes and systemic issues lead to cancellations or long delays.
If your flight is cancelled, airlines are typically obliged to offer you a choice between a refund of the unused part of your ticket or re routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity, even if this means flying with a partner or rival carrier. In cases where re routing requires an overnight stay, airlines usually must provide hotel accommodation and meals, along with transport between the airport and your lodging. Similar care obligations can apply when long delays occur and you are forced to remain at the airport for many hours.
Financial compensation on top of re routing or refunds is more nuanced. When disruptions are caused by so called extraordinary circumstances that the airline claims are beyond its control, such as certain categories of air traffic control strikes or severe weather, carriers may argue that they are not liable for compensation. However, not all strikes fall into this category. Walkouts by an airline’s own staff, particularly if they are part of a longer running labor dispute, are often considered within the airline’s control for compensation purposes. Travelers who believe they may be entitled to compensation can pursue claims directly with the airline or through specialized claims firms, though outcomes can vary by country and case specifics.
Regardless of the legalities, thorough documentation is invaluable. Keep boarding passes, cancellation notifications, screenshots of delay information and receipts for all expenses incurred as a result of the disruption. If you speak with airline staff at the airport, note down names, times and any commitments made. This information can make it easier to lodge a complaint later or to support a claim through a regulator, consumer protection body or travel insurance provider.
Should You Change Your Plans Now
Whether to proactively change travel plans depends on your risk tolerance, flexibility and the purpose of your trip. Business travelers with time sensitive meetings, passengers heading to cruises or package tours with fixed departure times, and families with non refundable accommodation bookings may wish to act conservatively. This could mean moving flights to dates outside the announced strike windows, rerouting via less affected hubs, or even shifting journeys to alternative modes where feasible.
Leisure travelers with more adaptable schedules might prefer to wait and watch, especially if their flights are several days away and only indirectly linked to the hotspots. Airlines often finalize strike related schedule cuts only once negotiations have advanced and official minimum service rules are confirmed. Canceling too early can sometimes leave you worse off than if you had waited for the airline to formally adjust the flight, since voluntary changes may not confer the same rights to free rebooking or refunds.
Travel insurance is a key factor in this calculation. Policies differ widely in their coverage of strikes and industrial action. Some will reimburse additional costs or lost prepaid arrangements if your trip is disrupted by events outside your control, while others exclude strikes altogether or cover only certain scenarios. Reading the fine print before making decisions is essential. If you have not yet traveled, it may still be possible to adjust your coverage or purchase policies tailored to the current environment, though most insurers will not cover known events after they have been widely publicized.
For many travelers, the most balanced approach will be to hold reservations for now while actively preparing a backup plan. Identify alternative flights or rail options, check cancelation rules for hotels and car rentals, and ensure you know how to contact your airline quickly if something changes. Logging into your booking and adding up to date contact details, including a mobile number and email, will help carriers reach you with automatic rebooking offers if your flight is impacted.
Outlook for the Rest of February and How to Stay Informed
Looking ahead to the second half of February, the picture remains volatile. Some of the strikes currently planned, including those in Italy, are set for defined dates, giving travelers clear time frames during which disruption is most likely. Others, particularly in Germany, Belgium and France, may evolve as negotiations progress, with unions reserving the right to call additional walkouts if talks stall. Weather remains an unpredictable overlay, with late winter storms still capable of closing runways or reducing air traffic control flow rates across multiple countries at once.
Industry observers say the underlying staffing and infrastructure issues that fuel many of these disputes cannot be resolved quickly, raising the prospect of further flashpoints around Easter and the summer high season. Air traffic control unions in France have already signaled that more action is possible later in the year if their concerns about staffing and modernization are not addressed. Airport operators in Belgium and other countries warn that repeated national strike days risk eroding confidence among airlines and passengers alike.
For travelers, the best defense is ongoing vigilance and flexibility. Rely on direct communications from airlines, airport authorities and reputable news organizations rather than informal social media posts. Check flight status on the day of travel and again before leaving for the airport, even if everything looked normal the previous evening. Allow extra time at airports experiencing known staffing issues, as security and check in queues can lengthen rapidly during disruption.
Above all, build resilience into your plans. Book refundable or flexible rates where possible, maintain realistic expectations about potential delays, and remember that frontline staff are often dealing with the same uncertainty as passengers. February’s aviation turbulence is a reminder that Europe’s skies are part of a complex ecosystem where labor relations, infrastructure and weather intersect. With informed planning and a willingness to adapt, travelers can still move through this unsettled period, even as thousands of flights are delayed or cancelled across the continent.