Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

STRIKES

How will Friday’s strike affect air travel in Italy?

Airline passengers travelling to or from Italy can expect to face disruption on Friday, March 17th, as a nationwide strike is set to affect airports including Milan Linate and Rome Fiumicino.

Published: 16 March 2023 12:49 CET
Passengers looking at a departure board at the airport
Airline passengers travelling to or from Italy might face disruption on Friday, March 17th due to a nationwide strike. Photo by Julien DE ROSA / AFP

People travelling to and from Italy can expect delays or cancellations on Friday, March 17th due to a nationwide strike involving airport handling and security staff. 

The demonstration was called by Italian unions earlier this month in protest against staff shortages, precarious work contracts and “gruelling shifts”.

According to the latest Italian media reports, as many as 100,000 passengers might have their travel plans disrupted by Friday’s walkout. 

As is often the case with transport strikes in Italy though, the overall impact of the demonstration will vary greatly from airport to airport.

READ ALSO: Calendar: The transport strikes to expect in Italy this spring

Security and handling staff at Milan’s Linate Airport will strike for 24 hours, which may result in significant delays and queues for passengers checking in or collecting their luggage. 

Check-in desks

Friday’s strike may result in delays and queues for passengers checking in or collecting their luggage. Photo by Andre PAIN / AFP

Aircraft maintenance staff at Rome’s Fiumicino will strike from 1pm to 5pm, with flight departure times likely to be affected. 

Besides Rome and Milan, baggage handlers at Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport will strike from 10am to 2pm, as will ground services staff at the Vincenzo Bellini Airport in Catania.

Finally, staff at Air Dolomiti, a subsidiary of Lufthansa operating routes from Germany to 13 different Italian destinations, will strike from 1pm to 5pm.

At the time of writing, there were no details as to how Friday’s demonstration might affect other airports around the country. 

Current industry agreements however mean a number of flights will be guaranteed to operate during the day. 

READ ALSO: Should you travel in Italy when there’s a strike on?

According to Italian civil aviation authority ENAC, all flights departing between 7am and 10am and between 6pm and 9pm will operate as scheduled. 

Intercontinental flights, including those with layovers at Italian airports, will not be affected by the strike. 

Routes between Italy’s mainland and islands (Sicily and Sardinia) deemed ‘essential’ will be guaranteed, Enac confirmed.

A full list of guaranteed services is available on ENAC’s website. 

You can keep up to date with the latest strike news from Italy HERE.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

STRIKES

Reader question: Will there be any strikes in Italy over Easter?

Transport strikes are a frequent occurrence in Italy, but will there be any walkouts over the Easter holidays? Here’s what we know.

Published: 29 March 2023 16:00 CEST
Reader question: Will there be any strikes in Italy over Easter?

Question: “I’m travelling to Italy over the Easter break and I wondered if there will be any strikes?”

Transport strikes are hardly unusual in Italy, with at least two or three national demonstrations taking place each month and a number of regional or local walkouts being held each week. 

Strike action has been particularly frequent over the past couple of months as rail, airline and public transport services were all disrupted by union-backed demonstrations on multiple occasions, causing delays or, at times, even cancellations for travellers.

But will the trend continue over Easter, affecting the travel plans of residents as well as international visitors?

READ ALSO: Calendar: The transport strikes to expect in Italy this spring

There currently are no transport strikes planned between Thursday, April 6th and Thursday, April 13th, so, as things stand, travellers shouldn’t expect to face any strike-related disruption during the holidays. 

Bus station in Rome

There currently are no planned strikes in Italy between Thursday, April 6th and Thursday, April 13th. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

However, it bears pointing out that, under Italian law, all transport strikes scheduled to take place on the 11th day from the date when they were first communicated to the Transport Ministry, can be legally held.

So, for the sake of argument, unions could still plan a strike for Easter Sunday – which falls on April 9th this year – provided that they notified the Transport Ministry by the end of Thursday, March 30th.

That said, scenarios like the one above are highly unlikely given that nearly all transport strikes in Italy are announced at least a month before their scheduled date.

On a different note, while the Easter holidays shouldn’t be affected by any transport staff walkouts, services might run on a reduced schedule on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday as both days are national holidays in Italy. 

As a result, those planning on travelling on those dates are advised to check the orari festivi (holiday schedules) of the relevant transport providers.

You can keep up to date with the latest strike news from Italy HERE.

SHOW COMMENTS