Ryanair says biggest-ever strike to ground 600 flights next week

Ryanair is to cancel more than 12% of its flights for two days next week in its biggest-ever strike as cabin crew escalate a staff revolt that began among disaffected pilots last year. The airline said it expected disruption to the travel plans of almost 50,000 customers traveling to and from Belgium, Portugal and Spain on July 25 and 26, as it would cancel up to 300 flights per day. “These strikes are entirely unjustified and will achieve nothing other than to disrupt family holidays,” the airline said. In the company’s largest previous industrial action, Ryanair cancelled 30 flights on July 12 when some pilots in Ireland held their first strike. Ryanair said it will cancel 24 flights on Friday during the second of three strikes planned by the pilots. Cabin crew from across Europe earlier this month published a list of 34 demands on July 4, including “a fair living wage”, improved sick pay and employment contracts in their own language, based on local rather than Irish law. Cabin crew have complained that they have to pay for drinking water during flights and must physically report to work when sick to provide written details of their symptoms. Ryanair, which published a list of cabin crew benefits on Twitter on Wednesday, including pay of up to 40,000 euros per year, said its staff has some of the best conditions in Europe’s low-cost airline sector.<br/>