Business travellers faced a patchwork of cancellations and delays after pilots, cabin crew and ground staff linked to multiple unions walked out from 06:00 to 24:00 on Saturday 13 June. The strike hit easyJet’s entire Italian network and overlapped with an 18-hour stoppage by ENAV air-traffic-control staff at Verona airport and a four-hour ground-handling strike at Milan-Linate. Although statutory ‘protected windows’ (07:00-10:00 and 18:00-21:00) allowed some flights to operate, dozens of point-to-point and feeder services were scrubbed. The walk-outs are part of a broader dispute over rostering and a new national collective contract for low-cost carriers. easyJet’s Italian crews argue that duty-time extensions introduced last winter breach EU fatigue rules, while ATC staff complain of staff shortages as airports ramp up to Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric checks. Unions signalled that further 24-hour actions could follow in July if no deal is reached.
![18-Hour EasyJet & ATC Strikes Snarl Italian Air Traffic on 13–14 June]()
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ can streamline the administrative side of your Italy trips. Their dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date visa requirements, ETIAS guidance and concierge processing services, helping corporate travellers stay compliant while mobility teams focus on contingency planning.
For corporate mobility managers the immediate action points are: 1) re-book staff on carriers covered by the ‘minimum flight guarantee’ list published by ENAC; 2) remind travellers that EU261 compensation applies only when disruption is not caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’—industrial action by airline staff is usually compensable. Longer-term, companies should build extra lay-over slack into Italian itineraries this summer. The Ministry of Infrastructure’s strike calendar shows additional airport-specific actions at Bologna (29 June) and Naples (4 July). Clients with critical cargo should consider shifting to night-freight slots, which are normally exempt from ATC strikes. Takeaway: Italy’s fragmented labour landscape means simultaneous local and national strikes can cripple hub-and-spoke operations even when headline disruption looks moderate. Real-time monitoring of the official MIT strike portal remains essential.
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ can streamline the administrative side of your Italy trips. Their dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides up-to-date visa requirements, ETIAS guidance and concierge processing services, helping corporate travellers stay compliant while mobility teams focus on contingency planning.
For corporate mobility managers the immediate action points are: 1) re-book staff on carriers covered by the ‘minimum flight guarantee’ list published by ENAC; 2) remind travellers that EU261 compensation applies only when disruption is not caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’—industrial action by airline staff is usually compensable. Longer-term, companies should build extra lay-over slack into Italian itineraries this summer. The Ministry of Infrastructure’s strike calendar shows additional airport-specific actions at Bologna (29 June) and Naples (4 July). Clients with critical cargo should consider shifting to night-freight slots, which are normally exempt from ATC strikes. Takeaway: Italy’s fragmented labour landscape means simultaneous local and national strikes can cripple hub-and-spoke operations even when headline disruption looks moderate. Real-time monitoring of the official MIT strike portal remains essential.
