Italy is experiencing a national air traffic disruption on September 30, 2026, as ENAV and its subsidiary Techno Sky conduct a four-hour strike from 1pm to 5pm local time. This industrial action targets flights across the country, with additional localized strikes set for Bologna, Milan Linate, Naples, and Bari airports. Flights are protected by Italian law during 7am to 10am and 6pm to 9pm periods and are expected to operate normally.
Flight Suspensions at Catania Airport Due to Mount Etna Ash
On September 29, 2026, Catania Airport in Sicily suspended all flight operations until 3pm due to volcanic ash from Mount Etna. Multiple departures were cancelled, including routes to Manchester,
Rome, and Venice. The airport stated: “All flight operations have been suspended until 3pm today, Tuesday, 29 September. Passengers are kindly requested to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.”
September UK Air Traffic Control System Failure Causes Major Flight Disruptions
Earlier in September 2026, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) faced a critical failure of its flight processing system affecting 15 UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham. The disruption led to widespread cancellations and delays, with some passengers stranded for hours on aircraft. NATS CEO Martin Rolfe promised a “very, very thorough investigation” into the incident.
easyJet Portugal Cabin Crew Announce Strikes in October and December
easyJet cabin crew based in Portugal,
represented by the SNPVAC union, scheduled strikes from October 2 to 6 and December 19 to 23, 2026. These actions are in response to worsening working conditions and expected to disrupt approximately 500 flights. The strikes affect key Portuguese airports including Lisbon, Porto, and Faro. An easyJet spokesman said the current union demands are “unworkable especially given that our crew are already paid significantly above the Portuguese national average,” and that the company is “doing everything we can to minimize the impact of the strike on our customers including actioning some cancellations in advance to allow our customers to rearrange
their travel plans.”
Ongoing European Flight Disruptions from Strikes and System Delays
Europe is facing multiple concurrent flight disruptions including widespread strikes in France affecting air and rail transport linked to government budget protests. Additionally, the EU’s new Entry/Exit System introduced earlier in 2026 is causing processing delays at some major European hubs. The cumulative impact of the Italian air navigation strike, volcanic activity in Sicily, UK air traffic control failures, and easyJet Portugal crew strikes contribute to a challenging operational environment across European airspace.
