Flights to and from Greece grounded

Flights to and from Greece were grounded for several hours on Thursday, 2nd April due to a one-day nationwide workers’ strike protesting job cuts and low salaries.

Air-traffic controllers left their jobs for four hours, from 12.00-16.00, suspending all but emergency flights. Olympic Airlines cancelled 140 domestic and international flights and rescheduled 10 flights to and from London, Brussels, Paris, New York and Tirana, while their rival Aegean Airlines cancelled 50 domestic flights. In the UK, British Airways cancelled seven flights between Heathrow and Athens, and Gatwick and Thessaloniki. easyJet also had to cancel eight services to Athens and Thessaloniki.

The national strike also affected banks, schools and transport services, and was the second nationwide protest against the conservative government since the police shooting of a teenager in December, which triggered the worst riots in decades.