easyJet cancels more than 56 Italy flights ahead of 30 October strike

Disruption overview

A national transport strike in Italy on 30 October 2026 has already prompted more than 56 easyJet flight cancellations, while Ryanair is also canceling and rescheduling services. Air traffic controllers will walk out from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, alongside a 24-hour strike by ground handlers and security staff affecting airports nationwide, including Rome Fiumicino Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport. Disrupted rail, metro, bus, and taxi connections could also make reaching the airport harder, so check your booking before traveling.

Compensation is unlikely because these strikes are outside the airlines' control, but if your flight is canceled, you're still entitled to a refund or free rebooking, with care available during qualifying waits.

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Disruption details

easyJet has canceled more than 56 flights to and from Italy ahead of a confirmed national transport strike on Friday, 30 October 2026. Ryanair has also confirmed cancellations and is moving some services outside the air traffic control strike window. Airports nationwide are affected, including Rome Fiumicino Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport.

If you're due to travel, this could mean changing your flight as well as reconsidering how you'll get to the airport. The wider transport strike will also disrupt airport connections and onward journeys, adding another difficulty for passengers whose plans have already changed.

The aviation disruption involves 2 overlapping walkouts. Italian air traffic controllers will strike from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, while ground handlers and security staff will take part in a 24-hour stoppage. That means disruption could extend beyond the afternoon air traffic control strike.

Eurocontrol has issued operational warnings for Italian airspace. Departures during the peak afternoon period are especially exposed, but passengers traveling earlier or later shouldn't assume their flights will operate normally.

Italy's protected air traffic control service windows run from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. These periods provide minimum service rather than a normal schedule. With ground handling and security walkouts lasting all day, traveling within a protected window doesn't remove the risk of disruption.

The strike's reach is nationwide, and affected airports include:

• Rome Fiumicino Airport and Rome Ciampino Airport

• Milan Malpensa Airport and Milan Linate Airport

• Venice Marco Polo Airport, Bologna Airport, and Naples Capodichino Airport

• Florence Airport, Pisa Airport, and Bari Airport

• Catania Airport, Palermo Airport, Cagliari Airport, Olbia Airport, and all other Italian airports

Getting to the terminal could also be difficult. Milan Malpensa's rail connection and Milan Linate's metro connection face disruption. Airport buses, taxis, and some motorway toll points may be heavily affected, alongside wider stoppages involving trains, trams, buses, and ports.

easyJet's advance cancellations and Ryanair's cancellations and schedule changes mean you don't need to wait to review your options. If you're booked with either airline, check your booking now. If your flight has been canceled, you can seek rebooking or a refund before heading to the airport.

Cash compensation under EC 261 or UK 261 is unlikely for cancellations caused by these air traffic control and third-party ground handling and security strikes because they're outside the airline's control.

That doesn't mean you're without support. If your flight is canceled, you're still entitled to a full refund or free rebooking. Airlines must also provide meals and refreshments during qualifying delays, plus hotel accommodation and transport if you're stranded overnight.

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Information on this page is AI generated, but always checked by a (human) passenger right expert.