Widespread strikes to disrupt travel across Italy this week

Italy is bracing for significant travel disruption this week as coordinated national strikes are set to affect both air and rail transport. A 24‑hour aviation walkout on Thursday 26 February is expected to impact flights at major airports including Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Rome Fiumicino, Venice Marco Polo, and Verona Valerio Catullo.

Pilots, cabin crew, and airport ground staff across carriers including ITA Airways and easyJet will participate in the Thursday action, which runs from 12:01am to 11:59pm. ITA Airways has already cancelled around 55% of its flights for the day and warned that services on Wednesday and Friday could also see knock‑on effects.

The airline has said travellers impacted by cancellations can “rebook or request refunds free of charge”, but only if their flight is cancelled or delayed by more than five hours.

Following the aviation stop, a separate 24‑hour national rail strike will disrupt train services from Friday into Saturday. Drivers and onboard staff at Ferrovie dello Stato, Italo, and Trenord will stop work from 9pm on Friday 27 February until 8:59pm on Saturday 28 February. Operators have cautioned that disruption may occur before and after these times and advise passengers to check updated timetables.

Additionally, air traffic controllers at Rome Fiumicino are planning an eight‑hour strike on Saturday 7 March that could further delay flights next week.

Travel insurers and risk managers should alert clients to the heightened likelihood of cancellations and delays, and encourage early status checks and flexible rebooking ahead of travel dates.

Global air travel is set to soar in 2026, but capacity gaps threaten growth, according to Airports Council International.