The easyJet walk-out is not the only labour action hitting Italian skies today. Air-traffic-control personnel employed by ENAV at Verona’s Valerio Catullo airport and ground-handling staff at Brescia-Montichiari are staging separate four-hour strikes, both running from 13:00-17:00 CET on 31 January 2026. While smaller than the nationwide easyJet stoppage, the actions target crucial regional gateways for northern Italy’s export-driven economy.
Verona ATC strike. Five unions – FIT-CISL, UILT-UIL, UGL-Trasporto Aereo, FAST-CONFSAL-AV and the local RSA – are protesting staffing levels and a new roster algorithm they claim “compresses rest times below EU safety thresholds”. The walk-out could force arrival-rate reductions or temporary ground holds, causing missed connections for passengers heading to Frankfurt, Istanbul and major European hubs.
![Localised airport strikes at Verona and Brescia add to 31 January air-travel headaches]()
Brescia ground handling. USB Lavoro Privato has called a synchronised stoppage for GDA Handling, the company that manages ramp, baggage and cargo at Montichiari. Although passenger traffic is modest, the airport is a strategic freight node for fashion and pharma exporters along the A4 corridor; forwarders have been advised to reroute time-critical consignments via Milan-Malpensa.
Business-travel implications. Corporate shuttles linking Verona to manufacturing plants around Vicenza and Trento may face late-evening schedule changes. Travellers booked on Lufthansa, Ryanair and Volotea should monitor flight alerts. For cargo, just-in-time supply chains risk delays of 12-24 hours.
Mitigation. 1) Re-book via Milan or Venice where possible. 2) Use rail for Verona-Milan-Bologna itineraries. 3) Coordinate with freight forwarders to shift loads to Malpensa freighters. The strikes underline northern Italy’s growing labour-relations strain amid record traffic volumes and staff shortages.
Verona ATC strike. Five unions – FIT-CISL, UILT-UIL, UGL-Trasporto Aereo, FAST-CONFSAL-AV and the local RSA – are protesting staffing levels and a new roster algorithm they claim “compresses rest times below EU safety thresholds”. The walk-out could force arrival-rate reductions or temporary ground holds, causing missed connections for passengers heading to Frankfurt, Istanbul and major European hubs.
Brescia ground handling. USB Lavoro Privato has called a synchronised stoppage for GDA Handling, the company that manages ramp, baggage and cargo at Montichiari. Although passenger traffic is modest, the airport is a strategic freight node for fashion and pharma exporters along the A4 corridor; forwarders have been advised to reroute time-critical consignments via Milan-Malpensa.
Business-travel implications. Corporate shuttles linking Verona to manufacturing plants around Vicenza and Trento may face late-evening schedule changes. Travellers booked on Lufthansa, Ryanair and Volotea should monitor flight alerts. For cargo, just-in-time supply chains risk delays of 12-24 hours.
Mitigation. 1) Re-book via Milan or Venice where possible. 2) Use rail for Verona-Milan-Bologna itineraries. 3) Coordinate with freight forwarders to shift loads to Malpensa freighters. The strikes underline northern Italy’s growing labour-relations strain amid record traffic volumes and staff shortages.
