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Italy 24-Hour Air Strike Grounds Flights Across All Airports

· 2 min read Travel News
Empty departure hall at an Italian airport during a national air strike

Contents

  1. What Is Affected
  2. What Travellers Should Do
  3. Planning Your Journey to Italy

A 24-hour national air traffic control and ground handling strike is under way across Italy today, 21 July 2026, affecting all commercial airports from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa to smaller regional hubs including Venice, Naples, Bologna, and Catania.

What Is Affected

Italian aviation strikes typically cover two categories of workers: ENAC-regulated air traffic control staff and airline ground crews. When both groups strike simultaneously - as is the case today - the impact on departures is severe. Hundreds of flights have already been cancelled as of this morning, with further disruption expected through the evening.

Carriers with significant Italy operations - including ITA Airways, Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air - have issued proactive cancellations and are offering passengers affected by the strike a free change or full refund. Rome Fiumicino is reporting the heaviest impact, with departure boards showing widespread cancellations across short-haul European routes.

Italian law requires a guaranteed minimum service on national routes during strikes, meaning some ITA Airways domestic flights between Rome and other Italian cities are required to operate within defined time windows (typically 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 local time). International flights do not carry this obligation.

What Travellers Should Do

If you are flying to or from Italy today:

Check your airline’s app immediately. If your flight has been cancelled, you are entitled to either a full refund or a rebooking at no additional cost. You may also be entitled to care (meals, accommodation) under EU Regulation EC 261/2004 if you are departing from an Italian airport on any carrier, or arriving into Italy on an EU-based airline.

For full details on what compensation you can claim and how to file, read our guide to Italy flight rights and compensation.

If you are flying tomorrow or later this week: Monitor your airline’s disruption notices. Strikes in Italy occasionally extend or trigger knock-on congestion for 24–48 hours afterward as fleets reposition.

Planning Your Journey to Italy

If you are considering booking flights to Italy in the coming weeks, our guide to flying to Italy covers the main airports, best airlines to book, and how to choose between Rome, Milan, and Venice as your entry point.

We will update this article if the strike is extended or further disruption is confirmed beyond today.