A 24-day industrial action by ground handlers at Cagliari Elmas Airport reached its peak on Sunday, 20 September, forcing multiple airlines to cancel or reschedule services to and from Sardinia. The walk-out—called by the powerful transport unions FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL and UILTRASPORTI—affects all employees of SOGAER, the company that manages passenger services and ramp operations at the island’s busiest airport. According to the public register of strikes maintained by Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the stoppage began at 00:01 on 6 September and is scheduled to last until 30 September, but Sunday marked the first day on which 100 percent of overtime and supplementary shifts were withheld. That meant fewer check-in desks, limited baggage handling and longer waiting times at security, causing knock-on delays at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate where arriving aircraft could not be turned around on schedule. Low-cost carriers operating tight rotations were particularly exposed; several Ryanair and easyJet flights were delayed by more than two hours, while ITA Airways rerouted some evening services through Olbia. Travel-management companies urged corporate travellers to verify flight status before departure and to budget extra time for queues. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers whose flights are cancelled must be re-booked or reimbursed, but compensation may not apply when disruption is caused by a legally notified strike. Companies with time-critical shipments have been advised to divert freight through alternative Sardinian ports such as Olbia or Porto Torres until normal operations resume. The strike also carries medium-term implications for Italy’s airport service model. SOGAER staff complain of chronic understaffing and seasonal contracts that leave the airport scrambling during peak summer months. The dispute highlights the vulnerability of island connectivity at a time when Sardinia is pivoting toward year-round tourism and digital-nomad attraction schemes. If no deal is reached, unions warn the action could escalate into a nationwide solidarity strike by airport ground personnel, potentially paralysing hubs on the mainland. For mobility managers, the priorities are: (1) revisit duty-of-care protocols for travellers transiting through Sardinia; (2) update contingency routing in online booking tools; and (3) brief assignees on their EU 261 rights and on-the-ground support options, including airport fast-track services that may remain operational. With further ENAV (air-traffic-control) walkouts scheduled for 30 September and 16 October, a turbulent autumn for Italian air transport is increasingly likely.
