Airport strikes cause widespread delays and flight cancellations in Italy
A nationwide strike has disrupted major airports in Milan, Venice, Bologna, Naples, and Florence, impacting thousands of travellers
Thousands of passengers across Italy are facing major disruption today, 26 September, as a nationwide strike affects operations at some of the country’s busiest airports, including Milan Malpensa and Linate, Venice Marco Polo, Bologna Guglielmo Marconi, Florence Amerigo Vespucci, and Naples International.
At least 72 flights have already been cancelled, with many more suffering severe delays. Both domestic and international services are affected. Milan Malpensa, one of the country’s busiest airports, has reported 37 cancellations. Flightradar24’s Departure Index for the airport reached 4.2 out of 5 earlier, signalling severe operational challenges.
The strike, called by the unions Confederazione Unitaria di Base (CUB) Trasporti and Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), involves airline staff, baggage handlers, and other essential airport workers. The 24-hour action stems from ongoing disputes over salaries and working conditions following stalled negotiations between the unions and authorities.
Airline operators affected by the delays and cancellations include Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa Cityline, CityJet, Helvetic, Air France, airBaltic, Vueling, and KLM.
Earlier this week, operations at several major European airports were severely disrupted following a cyberattack on Collins Aerospace, the company that manages check-in systems for numerous airlines.