The strike, which began at 6am local time, is the third of its kind by pilot members of the Amsterdam-based VNV union since June.

The industrial action is being held in a bid to secure members guaranteed sick leave pay and longer rest times between flights.

The walkout is due to end later today at 10am.

In a statement on its website the low-cost airline branded the walkout “disappointing and unnecessary” adding that it had already offered pilots a “significantly improved offer”.

EasyJet said: “We have been working closely with the VNV to negotiate a collective labour agreement and have already made a significantly improved offer.

“It is disappointing and unnecessary action by the union and will unfortunately affect our passengers travelling through Amsterdam today.

“We are trying to minimise the impact of the strike on our customers but unfortunately due to the short notice of the strike we will have to cancel flights.

“We will communicate to customers affected directly via SMS using the details provided at the time of booking.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the strike.”

Despite today’s strike, VNV has warned of future action if its demands are not met by the airline with a spokesperson telling Dutch news agency ANP: “We are determined to conclude a fair collective bargaining agreement for easyJet pilots, even if it means that the conflict and the resulting operational disruptions drag on for months.”