Airline and airport strikes — October 2026
Every strike, air traffic control failure and airport disruption we are following this month, in one table — with the answer people actually come for. Not every cancellation pays. A walkout by an airline’s own crew does; a failure at air traffic control usually does not, though the airline still owes you a bed and a meal either way. Each page below says which, why, and when it was last checked.
Still ahead — 1 disruption
Announced and not withdrawn as of 2 October 2026. A strike can be called off at any point, so check your own flight before you travel; each page below says when it was last verified and against what.
| Dates | What | Airports | Compensation owed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| From 1 October 2026 — no restart date | flydubai suspends all Israel flights — what passengers are owed | Dubai, Tel Aviv | Contested — the refund and care are owed regardless |
Called off
Announced, then suspended or withdrawn. Suspended is not settled — a rejected ballot can put the dates back.
| Dates | What | Airports | Compensation owed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 October 2026 — called off | easyJet France pilot strike — called off after a proposed deal | Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice and 3 more | Yes — the airline’s own staff walked out |
| 17–26 September 2026 | Gatwick assisted-travel strike — called off | London Gatwick | Unlikely — but care and re-routing are still owed |
Already happened — claims still open
The disruption is over; the deadline is not. Claim limits run to six years in England and Wales, five in Scotland, three in Germany and France, and two in Israel.
| Dates | What | Airports | Compensation owed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2026 | Italian airport strikes, September 2026 | Rome Fiumicino, Rome Ciampino, Florence, Pisa and 4 more | Unlikely — but care and re-routing are still owed |
| 21 September 2026 | NATS Prestwick failure, 21 September 2026 | Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow Prestwick and 3 more | Unlikely — but care and re-routing are still owed |
| 16–23 September 2026 — suspended | Charleroi airport strike — suspended after 322 cancellations | Brussels South Charleroi, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and 11 more | Unlikely — but care and re-routing are still owed |
| 11–13 September 2026 | Mexico City airport storm and the Air France cancellations | Mexico City | Unlikely — but care and re-routing are still owed |
| 8 September 2026 | UK air traffic control failure, 8 September 2026 | London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester and 2 more | Unlikely — but care and re-routing are still owed |
Is compensation owed for a strike?
Is compensation owed when a strike cancels my flight?
It depends entirely on who walked out. A strike by the airline’s own crew is part of running an airline and compensation is owed in full — the Court of Justice held exactly that in Krüsemann v TUIfly (C-195/17). A strike by air traffic control, airport security or a ground handler sits outside the airline and normally counts as an extraordinary circumstance, so the fixed compensation falls away.
If compensation is not owed, do I get nothing?
No. Extraordinary circumstances switch off the fixed compensation and nothing else. A refund or re-routing, meals and refreshments, and a hotel with transport if you are stuck overnight are all owed whatever the cause, and the care duty is not capped. Those are the entitlements almost nobody claims.
How much is the compensation?
Under EU261, €250 under 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km and any flight within the EU over 1,500 km, and €600 over 3,500 km between an EU and a non-EU airport. Under UK261, £220, £350 and £520. Twelve other regimes price it differently — the calculator applies whichever one governs your flight.
Do I need a claim company?
No, and they cost you 25–50%% of the award. Every step here is free: the airline first, then the national enforcement body or the CAA-approved ADR scheme if it refuses. This site writes the letter for you and takes nothing.