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Strikes For Members

How will Italy's air traffic control strike impact flights this weekend?

The Local Italy
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How will Italy's air traffic control strike impact flights this weekend?
People flying to or from Italy can expect to face delays or cancellations on Sunday, April 2nd, due to a nationwide air traffic operators strike. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Passengers flying to or from Italy can expect disruption on Sunday, April 2nd, as air traffic controllers from all around the country will strike from 1pm to 5pm. Here’s what you need to know.

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Travellers are once again set to face delays and/or cancellations on Sunday, April 2nd, due to a nationwide four-hour strike involving air traffic operators at Italy's Enav (National Flight Assistance Authority). 

The walkout, which was called by Italian unions in early March, is scheduled to start at 1pm and end at 5pm.

There currently aren’t sufficient details as to exactly what level of disruption travellers will face on the day, though as many as 200,000 passengers might have their travel plans disrupted by the walkout, according to the latest Italian media reports.

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Italy’s flagship airline, ITA Airways, has so far cancelled some 78 flights scheduled to depart on Sunday, with the full list being available here

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

The company said through a statement released on Friday morning that they had activated a “special plan” to minimise disruption and 35 percent of involved passengers would still be able to fly on Sunday, albeit on different flights.

They also advised all passengers with flights scheduled for Sunday to reach out directly to their own info points, which can be found here

At the time of writing, no airline other than ITA Airways has announced cancellations, though the situation is likely to evolve in the coming hours. 

As per current industry agreements, a number of flights will be guaranteed to operate during the strike. 

Notably, intercontinental flights, including those with layovers at Italian airports, will run regularly, as will any essential flight between Italy’s mainland and the islands (Sicily and Sardinia).

Furthermore, all national flights which will already be underway at the start of the strike will regularly reach their destination.

A full list of guaranteed services can be found on Enac’s (National Civil Aviation Authority) website

Flights scheduled to depart before or after the strike are currently expected to operate normally, though significant delays or airport queues resulting from the walkout cannot be ruled out yet.

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

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