A total of almost a thousand flights were canceled during the nationwide air traffic strike in Italy yesterday. The unions that had called for the walkout also recorded almost 100 percent participation in the strike by the workers, as reported by the Ansa news agency. The ground staff at the airports, who are responsible for handling and check-in services, among other things, went on strike. Travelers from Germany were also affected – several flights were canceled.

According to the information, several hundred flight connections were canceled at Italy’s major airports in Rome, Milan, Naples and Venice alone. Around 250,000 passengers were affected. The consumer protection association Codacons is assuming damage in the millions due to the failures and delays, Ansa reported.

In addition to ground staff, the pilots of Malta Air, who operate Ryanair flights in Italy, and the pilots and flight attendants of low-cost airline Vueling have also gone on strike. After a train strike on Thursday, this was the second major strike in Italy that had led to significant problems in public transport. The strikes hit the Mediterranean country in the middle of the peak tourist season and during a heatwave with high temperatures.