Business travellers heading in and out of Italy on 17 December faced a tense afternoon as air-traffic-control company ENAV, ground-handling firms, and crews from carriers including ITA Airways, Vueling and easyJet staged a coordinated four-hour walk-out from 13:00 to 17:00. The action, called by a coalition of unions, demanded quicker contract renewals, better work–life balance and the stabilisation of hundreds of fixed-term employees.
Impact on mobility
According to ENAC’s contingency list, long-haul sectors were protected but dozens of intra-EU and domestic rotations were cancelled or rescheduled. Travellers connecting to onward long-haul sectors in Rome and Milan reported minimum delays of 60–90 minutes as ground-handling manpower was reduced.
![Four-Hour National Airport Strike Disrupts Flights Across Italy]()
For multinational firms the stoppage coincided with year-end assignment moves and holiday travel, forcing some to activate emergency rerouting via Zurich or Munich. Travel-management companies estimate direct rebooking costs at €1.8 million and counting.
What companies should do
• Re-confirm flights for 19–22 December: unions have threatened further action if mediation fails.
• Encourage travellers to carry only cabin baggage; several airports experienced baggage-handling backlogs extending into the evening peak.
• Remind staff that under EU Regulation 261/2004 airlines must offer duty-of-care provisions, though cash compensation is not due for strikes considered “extraordinary circumstances.”
Impact on mobility
According to ENAC’s contingency list, long-haul sectors were protected but dozens of intra-EU and domestic rotations were cancelled or rescheduled. Travellers connecting to onward long-haul sectors in Rome and Milan reported minimum delays of 60–90 minutes as ground-handling manpower was reduced.
For multinational firms the stoppage coincided with year-end assignment moves and holiday travel, forcing some to activate emergency rerouting via Zurich or Munich. Travel-management companies estimate direct rebooking costs at €1.8 million and counting.
What companies should do
• Re-confirm flights for 19–22 December: unions have threatened further action if mediation fails.
• Encourage travellers to carry only cabin baggage; several airports experienced baggage-handling backlogs extending into the evening peak.
• Remind staff that under EU Regulation 261/2004 airlines must offer duty-of-care provisions, though cash compensation is not due for strikes considered “extraordinary circumstances.”
Source: Sky TG24
