On September 30, 2026, Italy’s national air navigation provider ENAV and its technology subsidiary Techno Sky held a four-hour strike from 1pm to 5pm local time, which caused widespread flight disruptions across the country.
Strike Impact on Italian Airports
Local industrial actions occurred simultaneously at several Italian airports including Bologna, Milan Linate, Naples, and Bari. Italian law mandated protected flight operation windows between 7am and 10am in the morning and 6pm to 9pm in the evening, outside of which the strike affected air traffic, causing delays and cancellations during the afternoon period.
Catania Airport Flight Suspensions Due to Mount Etna
On September 29, 2026, Catania Airport in Sicily suspended all flight operations until
3pm local time because of volcanic activity from Mount Etna. This led to cancellations of flights to destinations including Manchester, Rome, and Venice. The airport advised passengers to verify flight status with airlines prior to traveling.
UK Air Traffic Control Technical Failure Affected Major Airports
Earlier in September 2026, National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which oversees air traffic control at 15 UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham, suffered a significant technical failure. This incident caused extensive delays and cancellations, disrupting passenger experiences across those hubs. NATS CEO Martin Rolfe committed to a comprehensive investigation of the failure.
Upcoming easyJet Cabin Crew Strikes in Portugal
Further disruptions are anticipated as easyJet cabin crew based in
Portugal, members of the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC), plan strikes from October 2 to 6 and December 19 to 23, 2026. These actions are expected to ground approximately 500 flights, affecting operations at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports. easyJet expressed disappointment over the strike plans and noted ongoing mediation efforts via DGERT. The airline also stated that union demands exceed what is workable given crew pay rates above the Portuguese national average and indicated that some cancellations would be preemptively made to help customers adjust travel plans.
The strike on September 30, combined with volcanic disruptions
at Catania Airport and prior UK air traffic control failures, has collectively affected flight schedules across multiple European airports, leading to significant travel delays and cancellations.
