by InTrieste
Air travelers passing through Italy on Monday, 11 May, may face widespread delays and cancelations as a series of strikes involving air traffic controllers, airline crews and airport staff disrupt operations across the country.
The most significant action involves air traffic controllers employed by Italy’s national air navigation provider, ENAV, who are scheduled to strike from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Rome and Naples. The stoppage is expected to affect flights nationwide, particularly routes passing through the country’s busiest air corridors.
At the same time, Italy-based pilots and cabin crews employed by the British low-cost carrier easyJet are also expected to walk off the job during the same eight-hour window.
Additional disruptions are anticipated at several airports. Security staff at Rome’s Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, along with ground workers at Palermo airport, plan a four-hour strike from noon until 4 p.m. Separate walkouts involving ground handling personnel are scheduled at Milan Malpensa and Cagliari airports from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., potentially affecting check-in procedures, boarding operations and baggage services.
Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, said it had canceled approximately 38 percent of its scheduled flights for May 11 because of the industrial action.
Passengers traveling through Italian airports have been advised to check the status of their flights before departing for the airport and to allow extra time for possible delays.
Under Italian regulations, flights scheduled between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. are protected during transport strikes and are expected to operate normally, according to Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC.
More information is available on the websites of ENAC and the Italian Ministry of Transport strike calendar.
