Italy’s Uiltrasporti union has confirmed a national strike by ENAV air-traffic controllers on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, from 13:00 to 17:00 local time. The walk-out will also involve technicians at subsidiary Techno Sky and local ENAV units at Milan Linate, Naples, Bologna and Bari. Although limited to four hours, the stoppage threatens ripple delays across Europe because flights that miss critical slots can trigger aircraft and crew displacement. Under Italy’s strict minimum-service rules, the civil-aviation authority ENAC has drawn up a ‘voli garantiti’ list that protects state, emergency, humanitarian and over-flying services, plus every intercontinental arrival, half of each airline’s long-haul departures and one daily island round-trip per carrier. The updated roster—published on 28 September—allows airlines and passengers to see which flights must operate even during industrial action. Uiltrasporti says the dispute stems from an expired company-level contract, staff shortages, rostering issues and what it calls ‘chronic under-investment’ in navigation infrastructure. The union has threatened further action if negotiations do not progress. ENAV’s management says it is open to dialogue but must balance wage demands with a €1.2 billion modernisation plan that includes accelerating remote-tower roll-out ahead of the 2028 Winter Olympics. For businesses, the strike coincides with peak mid-week travel, affecting corporate shuttles between Milan, Rome and key European capitals. Travel-managers should advise employees booked between 13:00 and 17:00 to check flight status, allow additional connection time and consider rail alternatives on corridors such as Milan–Rome and Venice–Florence. United Airlines and Lufthansa have already issued travel waivers permitting free rebooking for Italy-bound itineraries between 28 September and 2 October. From a compliance standpoint, companies must remember that EU Regulation 261 obliges airlines to offer rerouting or refunds but exempts them from cash compensation when cancellations are caused by third-party strikes. However, duty-of-care obligations require employers to monitor developments and provide assistance—such as accommodation or alternative transport—if travellers are stranded. ENAC will monitor on-time performance on the day and has warned carriers that last-minute cancellations outside the protected list may trigger sanctions.
Source: AeroCorner / ENAC
