How to Deal with an Airport or Airline Strike in 2026

What counts as a strike

• ATC strike (e.g., France) — affects all flights through affected airspace.
• Airline employee strike — affects only that airline.
• Ground handler strike — affects an airport.
• Work-to-rule — slowdown rather than full strike; harder to get statutory compensation.

EU 261 implications

For EU-departing or EU-airline flights, "extraordinary circumstances" outside the airline's control may exempt the carrier from cash compensation, but duty of care (food, hotel, rebooking) still applies.

What to do

1. Rebook proactively if your airline is striking — wait times for re-booking often spike.
2. Use the airline website rather than phone if the line is hours long.
3. Document everything for compensation claims.
4. Track the situation in FlightyFlow to see whether the strike is affecting departures or already cleared.

Track in FlightyFlow →