Thousands of UK travel plans could be under threat after it was announced strike action would be taking place in Italy over a 24-hour period.

The strike, which is taking place over a dispute regarding pay, has forced some 200 flights to be cancelled, affecting dozens of locations like Rome and Milan across the European nation.

The strike action is being carried out by air traffic control staff in Italy.

It was announced by state-owned Italian airline company ITA that a further 13 flights to and from London had also been cancelled.

However, airline bosses at easyJet say that they are working to ensure travel plans go ahead by transferring affected passengers onto other flights.

The low-cost air travel company told passengers to expect delays and cancellations but has yet to confirm all the flights impacted by the wave of industrial action.

Messenger Newspapers: Gareth Fuller/PA - easyJet passengers could be left stranded by the strikesGareth Fuller/PA - easyJet passengers could be left stranded by the strikes (Image: PA)

What has easyJet said about the air traffic control strikes?

In a statement, easyJet said: "We have been informed of national strike action in Italy on Friday, October 21, which will affect air traffic control and ground handling services. Like most airlines operating to and from Italy, we may see some disruption to our flying programme on this date.

“We advise customers travelling to, from or within Italy on Friday, October 21 to allow additional time to travel to and from the airport and to check the status of their flights on our Flight Tracker."

When is the air traffic control strike happening?

It has been announced that air traffic control staff in Italy will be going on a 24-hour strike on Friday, October 21.

What to do if my flight is cancelled?

Most airline companies will inform their customers if their flights are cancelled ahead of the scheduled date of departure via email or text.

easyJet says it is working to ensure affected travellers are moved to other flights.

It also recommends transferring your booking to a later time/date free of charge or seeking a refund on the 'Manage Bookings' section on the top panel of the easyJet website.

easyJet flight tracker

You can also track the status of your flight on the easyJet flight tracker on the company's app or website.