Strike action across Europe disrupts 2,645 flights at Rome Fiumicino and Madrid–Barajas

Disruption overview

Strike action across Europe is heavily disrupting flights through Rome Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport and Madrid–Barajas Airport, with 133 cancellations and 2,512 delays recorded in the latest 24-hour period. The walk-outs involve air traffic control staff, ground handlers, and airline crews, and the effects are spreading to hubs including Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Frankfurt as aircraft and crews fall out of position. If your flight was canceled or arrived more than 3 hours late because of airline staff strikes, you may be entitled to up to £520 compensation under EC 261, although claims can be more complicated when air traffic control stoppages are involved.

Disruption details

Strike action across Europe is putting major pressure on Rome Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport and Madrid–Barajas Airport, where the latest 24-hour period brought 133 cancellations and 2,512 delays. In total, 2,645 departures and arrivals were affected, making Rome and Madrid the main pressure points in a wider network problem.

For passengers, this means long queues, crowded gates, missed connections, and delayed baggage delivery. Because both airports are major hubs, disruption in Italy and Spain is quickly spilling over into onward flights across the continent.

The latest disruption picture looks like this:

• 133 flights were canceled in the latest 24-hour period.

• 2,512 flights were delayed, bringing the total number of affected movements to 2,645.

• Knock-on strain has spread to hubs including Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Frankfurt.

The industrial action involves a mix of air traffic control personnel, ground handlers, and airline flight and cabin crew. The exact strike lineup varies by country and union, but Italy and Spain are currently seeing the heaviest operational impact.

At Rome Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, intermittent walk-outs by ground handling teams and flight crews have forced airlines to trim schedules or combine rotations. That has left some aircraft and crews out of position, and it has compressed departure banks once operations restart.

Madrid–Barajas Airport is under similar pressure. Rolling staffing gaps and union-led walk-outs are slowing turnaround times, especially during busy morning and evening waves, which makes it harder for airlines to recover on time.

The Rome–Madrid route is already one of Europe’s more delay-prone city pairs, so extra disruption there quickly pushes up late-running services and cancellations. Airlines with multiple daily services on the affected routes include ITA Airways, Iberia, Ryanair, Wizz Air Malta, Volotea, and Air Europa, and they are carrying a significant share of the disruption.

The effects aren't stopping in Italy and Spain. Secondary hubs in Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Frankfurt are also seeing scheduling strain as aircraft and crews miss later rotations, creating further disruption well beyond the original strike windows.

With no definitive end date announced, passengers transiting Rome or Madrid this week should keep a close eye on flight status updates. Airlines and airports are also advising customers to arrive earlier than usual during declared strike periods and allow extra time for connections.

Even after individual strike periods end, recovery may still take several days. Carriers plan to use larger aircraft or add extra sections on key routes, but aircraft and crews are now spread across multiple bases, which can slow the return to normal schedules.

If your flight was canceled at short notice or arrived more than 3 hours late because of airline staff or crew strikes, you may be entitled to up to £520 compensation under EC 261. Claims can be less straightforward when air traffic control stoppages are part of the disruption, but it's still worth checking your flight. If you're unsure where you stand, you can check your compensation with AirHelp's free flight checker in just 2 minutes, and your airline should still provide care such as rebooking, refunds, food, or accommodation when your journey is heavily disrupted.

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