Travellers face airport chaos as Alitalia axes flights

Airline travellers faced more chaos today as Alitalia planned to axe 50 flights because of wildcat strike action at Italian airports.

Travellers faced huge queues, delays and cancellations at airports in Italy yesterday, after Monday’s action by workers for the troubled airline.

Dozens of flights were scrapped, sparking disputes that became so heated police had to intervene at check-in counters.

Lines at Alitalia counters at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport stretched for 200 feet as the terminal struggled with a backlog of hundreds of passengers who spent the night on the floor or in chairs after their flights were cancelled.

Some angry travellers threatened ground personnel and police were called in to calm them down.

Alitalia said a total of 124 flights were cancelled among all its operations yesterday as a result of the wildcat strike a day earlier and a work-to-rule by pilots. The airline predicted 50 flights would have to be scratched today.

Many of yesterday’s cancellations came in Rome’s main airport and at Milan’s Linate airport.

Adding to the transport mayhem, Italy’s civil aviation authority said Ciampino, Rome’s second-largest airport and a low-cost hub, would remain closed until last night as workers removed a Ryanair plane that made a hard emergency landing Monday after hitting a flock of birds.

The plane damaged its left gear and ended its run leaning on the left wing. Two crew members and four passengers suffered minor injuries but all had been released from the hospital, Ryanair said.

Some 200 Alitalia flight attendants and pilots staged a surprise protest on Monday, blocking the crew entrance at Leonardo da Vinci and preventing staff wanting to fly from entering the terminal.

The protesters, who oppose a plan to salvage the bankrupt carrier by cutting routes and jobs, were ordered back to work on Monday night by Italy’s transport minister.