by InTrieste
Italy’s Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has signaled plans to block two air-sector strikes in February and March to ensure smooth travel during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The strikes, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 16, and Saturday, March 7, involve pilots, cabin crew, airport staff, and baggage handlers from carriers including ITA Airways, easyJet, and Vueling. A 24-hour walkout at that time could disrupt travel during the Games’ second week.
Italy’s strike watchdog, the Commissione di Garanzia, labeled the dates “critical,” citing potential disruption for athletes, spectators, and international media traveling between Milan and the Dolomites. The commission recommended rescheduling industrial action to a “neutral” window between Feb. 24 and March 4, after the Olympics and before the Paralympics.
Following the recommendation, Salvini said he is prepared to issue a precettazione, a legal order allowing the government to suspend strikes deemed a threat to public safety or essential services. “We cannot allow the image of Italy to be tarnished by travel chaos while the world is watching,” he said.
Trade unions, including FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL, and UILTRASPORTI, have cited pay and stalled contract negotiations as reasons for the strike. Salvini has invited union representatives for talks on Friday and warned that if no agreement is reached, he will enforce an injunction to halt the strikes.
