Every summer and holiday season, airline strikes ground thousands of flights across Europe. When this occurs, airlines routinely send automated messages claiming they cannot pay compensation due to 'extraordinary circumstances beyond our control'. This is legally false.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) settled this question definitively in landmark judgments (Case C-195/17 Krüsemann and Case C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS). The Court established that strike actions organized by the airline's own staff (pilots, flight attendants, cabin crew, ground staff) are an intrinsic part of running a commercial business and do NOT constitute extraordinary circumstances.
Which strikes DO entitle you to compensation? Strikes by airline pilots, cabin crew, baggage handlers directly employed by the airline, or wildcat walkouts by airline personnel. In these situations, the airline MUST pay you 250€ to 600€ compensation per passenger.
Which strikes do NOT qualify? Strikes by independent third parties outside the airline's control, such as national Air Traffic Control (ATC) unions or airport border police. Even then, the airline still owes you full Duty of Care (free hotels, meals, and rebooking).