Does EU Regulation 261 cover airline strikes?
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 defines air passenger rights as well as the right to receive compensation when an airline is responsible for the delay or cancellation. This also includes flight disruptions due to airline staff strikes. Airline strikes are strikes that involve the employees of the airline, including pilots, cabin crew, airline engineers, and other employees working directly for the airline. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, if your flight was delayed or cancelled due to a strike, you may be entitled to compensation.
In 2018, the European Court of Justice ruled that airlines must compensate their passengers for flight disruptions if the airline staff strike was illegal, meaning that the strike didn’t involve a labour union.