A national strike involving Italy’s air traffic control provider ENAV and its technology arm Techno Sky began on September 30, 2026. The industrial action took place from 1pm to 5pm local time, affecting flights across the entire country with major cancellations and delays. Local strikes were also reported at Bologna, Milan Linate, Naples, and Bari airports.
Italian law mandates protected periods to ensure continued flight operations despite strikes. These are from 7am to 10am and from 6pm to 9pm. Although the strike officially lasted four hours, delays and knock-on effects were expected to impact flights throughout the day and beyond
the strike window.
On September 29, Catania Airport in Sicily suspended all flights until 3pm due to volcanic activity from Mount Etna. Multiple departures including routes to Manchester, Rome, and Venice were cancelled as a precaution. The airport authority requested passengers confirm their flight status with their airline before traveling.
Earlier in September, the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) experienced a major technical failure that disrupted operations at 15 airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham. The failure left many passengers stranded; notably former Formula 1 driver and broadcaster Martin Brundle was stuck on a plane for nine hours
at Heathrow. NATS’ chief executive pledged a thorough investigation into the incident.
Additional industrial action is scheduled by easyJet cabin crew based in Portugal, represented by the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC). Strikes are planned from October 2 to 6 and again from December 19 to 23, 2026. The October strike is expected to ground approximately 500 flights, primarily affecting routes through Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports.
An easyJet spokesperson said the airline is disappointed by the planned strikes despite ongoing conciliation efforts mediated by Portugal’s DGERT. The spokesman noted that crew pay is already significantly above
the Portuguese national average and that the union’s current demands are not workable. EasyJet is managing some cancellations in advance to reduce customer disruption.
Passengers with flights in Italy today faced widespread cancellations and delays due to the strike and its extended effects. Travelers from Catania also encountered cancellations after volcano-related suspensions. Earlier disruptions in the UK and upcoming strikes in Portugal contribute to continued turbulence across European air travel.
European air travel continues to encounter disruptions this fall amid labor disputes, volcanic activity, and technical failures affecting multiple major airports and airlines.
