ITALY: Tourists caught in Italy's general strike are stuck in freezing weather at train stations and airports

Record ID: 341586

  • Title: ITALY: Tourists caught in Italy's general strike are stuck in freezing weather at train stations and airports
  • Date: 26th November 2005
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST JERRY KENNERLY SAYING: "It's been bad, it's been very bad today."
  • Embargoed: 11th December 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Industry,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVA4NQS1SXA0J1C4DOUO2ETEHMYJ
  • Story Text: Factories, trains, banks and planes came to a standstill in Italy on Friday (November 25) as thousands took part in a general strike to protest against the government's budget. Many tourists were caught up in the transport chaos that ensued, stuck for hours at train stations and airports with no information about how they could continue their onward journey. One American family from Atlanta, Georgia had just arrived in Italy and were hoping to continue their trip with the first class train tickets to Venice they had pre-booked. "We just flew in today and we've just found out about the strike - we've been standing here in the freezing cold for about two hours," said Daniel Turner adding that no one had told them how they could continue their journey. "It's been bad, it's been very bad today," said American tourist Jerry Kinnerley stuck at the train station and hugging her daughter to keep warm. State-controlled airliner Alitalia, which is battling to stave off bankruptcy, cancelled 230 flights -- 105 national flights and 125 international -- as air traffic controllers stopped work between 12.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. (1100-1500 GMT). Travellers at the airport were seeing their worst travel nightmares come true. Australian tourist Tara O'Donaghue was desperately trying to find out when another flight to Sydney would be leaving after her flight had been cancelled. "Our plane was meant to leave at three o'clock today and that's been cancelled. We were supposed to come here by train and that's been cancelled and now our flight has been changed to 4.15 but our flights that leave from London have also been cancelled and we've had to change the other ones," she said. Rolf from Norway had been left sitting onboard his plane on the tarmac for an hour before all passengers had been asked to get off and wait. "We had to wait in the plane for an hour and then we were ordered back again and now we don't know when we can go," Rolf said. The Italians suffered alongside the tourists - one woman was told to travel from Rome's second airport at Ciampino to catch her flight at Fiumicino. When she arrived at the airport she found out the flight do not exist. "We knew about the strike but even yesterday evening they assured us that the flights in the morning would leave," she said.
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