Business travellers planning to pass through Naples-Capodichino next week have been put on notice. On 9 October, airport operator GESAC published an advisory stating that all easyJet cabin and flight-deck personnel based in Italy will stage a nationwide 24-hour walk-out from 00:00 to 23:59 on Friday 16 October. Although the action targets the airline rather than the airport, Naples is one of easyJet’s busiest Italian bases and could see dozens of departures and arrivals disrupted. The strike is the latest flash-point in a long-running dispute over crewing levels, rostering and inflation-linked pay rises. Italian labour unions USB Lavoro Privato and FILT-CGIL accuse the low-cost carrier of failing to align Italian contracts with those recently signed by colleagues in France and the UK. easyJet argues that its Italian cost base is already 20 per cent higher than its Spanish and Portuguese operations and that further increases would jeopardise the sustainability of domestic routes. For corporates, the timing is awkward: 16 October falls on a Friday peak for weekend city-break traffic and the start of several trade fairs in northern Italy. GESAC warns travellers to check flight status directly with the airline and consider re-routing via Rome or Bari if meetings are date-critical. Under EU261 rules, passengers whose flights are cancelled because of industrial action are entitled to rebooking or refunds but not to financial compensation. Travel-management companies advise building extra connection time into itineraries that rely on onward rail or ferry links, as same-day alternatives could sell out quickly. Companies with critical staff movements should pre-authorise the use of flexible tickets or alternative carriers such as ITA Airways and Ryanair, which have indicated they will add limited rescue capacity. In addition, hotels around Capodichino are already reporting higher-than-average demand for the night of 15 October, suggesting many travellers plan to fly in early to beat the disruption. Looking ahead, the strike underscores the fragility of Italy’s aviation labour landscape heading into the winter scheduling season. Negotiations are continuing, but unions have threatened further 48-hour actions in November if no agreement is reached.
Source: Aeroporti di Napoli – GESAC
