The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has formally published the list of ‘voli garantiti’—flights that must operate—ahead of a 24-hour strike by air-traffic controllers and ground staff on Friday, 30 September 2026. Unions FIT-CISL, UILTrasporti and USB are protesting staffing shortages at ENAV’s area control centres in Rome, Milan and Brindisi. Under Law 146/1990, carriers are obliged to operate domestic flights scheduled between 7-10 a.m. and 6-9 p.m., plus all intercontinental services. ENAC’s bulletin, released late on 29 September, lists 312 guaranteed departures, including key business routes such as Milan Linate–Rome Fiumicino, Naples–Venice and the evening New York-JFK–Rome service. Airlines have already cancelled more than 40 percent of non-protected flights. Ryanair will ground 130 domestic sectors; ITA Airways is offering free rebooking until 15 October. The largest impact is expected at Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Palermo, but regional airports such as Bari and Trieste will also face significant disruption because handling agents plan solidarity walk-outs. Corporate travel departments should issue go/no-go decisions today. Passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to rerouting or reimbursement but not to EU261 compensation because the strike is deemed an ‘extraordinary circumstance’. Mobility managers may want to shift urgent assignees onto rail where feasible; Trenitalia is adding eleven Frecciarossa services between Milan and Rome.
