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STRIKES

Italy’s ITA Airways cancels flights ahead of strike on Wednesday

Strike action at Italian airports is set to cause further disruption for passengers travelling to or from Italy on Wednesday, May 3rd, after a string of recent protests affected transport in the country.

Published: 2 May 2023 19:35 CEST
Italy's ITA Airways cancels flights ahead of strike on Wednesday
Passengers check an information screen at Rome's Fiumicino airport during a strike. Further strike action has been confirmed for Wednesday, May 3rd. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

A nationwide protest by Italian air traffic controllers, pilots and flight attendants from airline Vueling, and staff from Air Dolomiti will go ahead on Wednesday, Italian trade union Filt CGIL has confirmed, as Italian airline ITA announced flight cancellations on several routes.

The strike will last for four hours on Wednesday, from 1pm to 5pm, and is expected to hit airports across the country including in Rome and Milan.

The announcement of the latest in a long series of transport strikes in Italy came following delays to flights to and from Italian airports caused by the knock-on effects of air traffic control strikes in France over the long weekend.

Italy’s ITA Airways confirmed on Tuesday that it had already cancelled around 50 flights ahead of the strike action. (See a full list of the affected routes on the airline’s website here.)

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

ITA said in a statement that it would rebook “the largest possible number of travellers involved in the cancellations on the first available flights” and said that 90 percent of passengers affected “will be able to fly on the same day.”

Rome airport management company Aeroporti di Roma said “cancellations or delays could occur” and advised passengers due to fly from Fiumicino or Ciampino airports on Wednesday to contact their airline to check the status of their flight.

Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC has published a list of flights that are guaranteed to go ahead during Wednesday’s strike. Under Italian law, flights scheduled to leave between 7-10am and 6-9pm are protected from strike action.

The Local will publish further updates as they become available.

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

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STRIKES

Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

People travelling to, from or across Italy may face disruption in the coming weeks as unions have called multiple walkouts affecting air, rail and taxi services.

Published: 31 May 2024 14:55 CEST
Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

Transport strikes are far from uncommon during Italy’s summer months, and this year will be no exception as trade unions representing airport, rail and taxi staff have announced multiple walkouts which may affect the travel plans of both international visitors and locals.

Strikes are usually planned and announced well in advance in Italy though, and the Italian transport ministry lists them on a handy calendar.

Here’s a look at the walkouts that may cause at least some amount of disruption in the coming weeks.

June 3rd – Nationwide rail maintenance staff strike

Train passengers around the country may experience delays or cancellations on Monday, June 3rd as track maintenance staff at Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), which owns and manages all of Italy’s railway network, plan a 24-hour walkout. 

The protest, which is backed by some of Italy’s largest trade unions, may impact both regional and long-distance services operated by state-owned Trenitalia, as well as trains from private operator Italo.

June 5th-6th – Nationwide taxi drivers’ strike

Cab services around the country may be significantly limited on Wednesday, June 5th and Thursday, June 6th as taxi drivers plan to strike from 8am to 10pm (for a total of 14 hours) on both days.

There are currently no details as to how many drivers will participate in the walkout, but anyone planning to use taxi services on the day should be prepared to find alternative transportation.

People walk next to a taxi in Saint Peter's Square

People walk next to a taxi in Saint Peter’s Square. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

The protest was called in late May in protest against a proposed reform of the taxi sector aimed at reducing cab shortages around the country.

June 15th – Air traffic controllers’ strike at Naples airport

Passengers flying to or from Naples’ Capodichino airport may face delays or cancellations on Saturday, June 15th as staff from air traffic control agency Enav plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.

Detailed information on guaranteed flights is expected to be released on the Italian Civil Aviation Authority’s website closer to the date of the walkout.

June 16th – Nationwide rail staff strike

Train passengers in Italy may experience disruption on Sunday, June 16th as staff at multiple rail operators, including Trenitalia and Trenord, plan to take part in a 23-hour walkout starting at 3am on Sunday and ending at 2am on Monday.

The planned strike is expected to affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, with the overall level of disruption expected to vary by city and operator.

It’s currently unclear whether or not services from private operator Italo will be affected by the protest.

July 5th – Air traffic controllers’ strike at Venice airport

Passengers flying to or from Venice’s Marco Polo airport may face delays and/or cancellations on Friday, July 5th as staff from air traffic control agency Enav plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.

Information on guaranteed flights is expected to be released on the Italian Civil Aviation Authority’s website closer to the date of the walkout.

July 6th-7th – 24-hour nationwide rail staff strike

People travelling to, from or across Italy by train may face disruption over the first weekend of July as rail staff around the country plan to walk out from 9pm on Saturday, July 6th to 9pm on Sunday, July 7th. 

People sit outside Venice's Santa Lucia station

People sit outside Venice’s Santa Lucia station in May 2019. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

The protest should affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, with the level of disruption varying by city and operator.

July 21st – Air traffic controllers’ strike at Bergamo airport

Passengers flying to or from Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport may experience delays and/or cancellations on Sunday, July 21st as staff from air traffic control agency Enav plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.

For information on guaranteed flights, see the Italian Civil Aviation Authority’s website closer to the date of the walkout.

Local strikes

There is no nationwide transport walkout planned beyond Sunday, July 21st.

A number of smaller regional and local walkouts have also been announced for the coming weeks. A full list can be found on the Italian transport ministry’s website. 

Summer exemption period for air travel strikes

Anyone flying to or from Italy between July 27th and September 5th can breathe easy: strikes (at least Italian ones) are unlikely to affect your journey between these dates.

Industrial action impacting Italy’s air transport sector is not allowed during the peak summer travel period from the end of July to the beginning of September.

This is called franchigia estiva, or ‘summer exemption period’, and it exists partly to protect Italy’s tourism industry.

That said, this rule doesn’t prevent other types of transport strikes from going ahead in Italy over that period.

How bad are strikes in Italy?

Strikes in Italy are frequent but not all of them cause significant disruption for travellers.

The severity of disruption caused by any strike in the country largely depends on how many staff in any part of the transport sector decide to participate.

And, even in the case of highly disruptive strikes, some essential services (or servizi minimi) are guaranteed to run at peak times. This goes for all transport sectors, from local public transport to rail and air travel.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

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