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Publishers who are due to attend the Bologna Children’s Book Fair next week have been rushing to change flights following British Airways’ announcement of its strike dates at the weekend.
BA’s first three-day strike runs from Saturday 20th to Monday 22nd March, ending the day before the book fair begins on Tuesday 23rd March.
Josy Davis, of Josy Davis Travel, said: “We are currently waiting for an update from BA on the status of the Bologna flights, and I am advising people not to change arrangements until we know if the Bologna flights are operating.”
However, a number of publishers have switched to Ryanair, the only other operator that flies direct to Bologna. Ryanair is offering additional seats on its flights on Monday 22nd, but at a cost of some £350.
Publishers can also change their BA flights to different days, but those who want to fly to Bologna before the strike starts will need to fly out on the 19th March – three full days before the fair begins.
A second strike is also looming at the end of the fair, starting on Saturday 27th and running until the 30th March. A number of publishers who need to break down their stands at the close of the fair will, therefore, also struggle to return home.