Fuel Shortages Ground Flights at Crotone and Reggio Calabria Airports as Trucker Protests Escalate

Flights to and from Calabria’s two smallest commercial airports ground to a halt on 21 October after days of trucker road-blocks emptied their jet-fuel tanks. Air-navigation provider ENAV issued a NOTAM warning that both Crotone (CRV) and Reggio Calabria (REG) airports now have “zero uplift capacity”; pilots must tanker enough fuel for onward legs or reroute to larger hubs such as Naples or Rome. The truckers began blocking key highways and refinery access roads last week to protest soaring diesel prices and delays in a €480 million government aid package. While most major airports receive fuel by sea or rail, Crotone and Reggio Calabria rely on tanker trucks that have been unable to leave the Gioia Tauro depot for 48 hours. Several supermarket chains in southern Italy have also reported empty shelves as the protest widens. Eleven national haulage associations issued an open letter calling on Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to clear the blockades, arguing that negotiations with Transport Minister Matteo Salvini had already yielded concrete relief measures. Union leaders in Calabria, however, vowed to maintain pickets until a follow-up meeting scheduled for 27 October produces legally binding guarantees. Business travellers heading to Calabria face significant disruption. Lufthansa and ITA Airways have cancelled or combined flights to Lamezia Terme, while regional carrier Aeroitalia has re-routed passengers to Bari with onward bus transfers. Multinationals with offshore energy and ship-repair projects in the region are advising staff to postpone non-essential trips or use rail connections via Naples. If fuel deliveries do not resume within 72 hours, ENAV warns that air-traffic flow restrictions could ripple northward as airlines juggle aircraft rotations. Companies with time-critical cargo should consider sea freight out of Gioia Tauro or alternative airports in Puglia until the protest is resolved.