A national strike involving Italy’s air navigation provider ENAV and its technology subsidiary Techno Sky is ongoing today, September 30, 2026, from 1pm to 5pm local time. The strike affects flights across Italy and includes local industrial actions planned at Bologna Airport, Milan Linate Airport, Naples Airport, and Bari Airport, disrupting operations at these key hubs.
Protected Flight Hours and Extended Delays
Italian law mandates protected flight operating periods between 7am-10am and 6pm-9pm during which flights should continue normally despite strikes. However, delays and cancellations due to today’s strike are expected to extend beyond the 1pm to 5pm stoppage because of knock-on effects across flight networks.
Impact of Recent Volcanic Activity at Catania Airport
On September 29, 2026, Catania Airport in Sicily cancelled multiple flights to Manchester, Rome, and Venice due to volcanic ash from Mount Etna. Flight operations were suspended until 3pm that day. The airport authority advised passengers to check flight status before traveling.
September UK ATC System Failure Caused Major Disruptions
Earlier in September 2026, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) experienced a major technical failure affecting 15 UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham. This resulted in over 1,000 flight cancellations and significant delays.
Upcoming EasyJet Cabin Crew Strikes in Portugal
EasyJet cabin crew based in Portugal represented by the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) voted for strikes from October 2 to
6 and December 19 to 23, 2026. These will affect flights from Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports and are expected to ground approximately 500 flights during the first strike period due to deteriorating working conditions.
Official Responses and Broader European Aviation Challenges
An EasyJet spokesman said the airline was extremely disappointed by SNPVAC’s strike plans despite ongoing conciliation efforts through DGERT mediation, noting that union demands are unworkable as their crews are already paid significantly above the Portuguese national average. EasyJet is minimizing strike impact by actioning some cancellations in advance to allow customers to change travel plans.
The ongoing Italy strike, volcanic disruption in Sicily, UK
air traffic control failures, and Portuguese cabin crew industrial actions illustrate the widespread aviation disruptions across Europe. These challenges coincide with French rail strikes and delays caused by the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System at major European hubs.
