Italian airports will grind to a near standstill for four hours on Saturday, July 26, 2025, when ground-handling staff, security screeners, and support crews walk off the job from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. At the same moment, pilots and flight attendants at Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea will stage an overlapping national Strike. Although Italian law guarantees limited "protected" flights outside the strike window, airlines are pre-emptively trimming schedules. U.S. travelers, Cruise guests, and corporate flyers transiting Italy-or connecting via Volotea in France or Spain-should brace for cascading delays, missed connections, and scattered cancellations.
Key Points
- Four-hour Italy airport strike runs 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on July 26.
- Volotea crews will Strike nationally during the same hours.
- Flights 7 a.m.-10 a.m. and 6 p.m.-9 p.m. must operate by law.
- Palermo (PMO) departures are exempt from the ground-staff action.
- Why it matters: peak-season disruptions could strand 250,000 travelers.
Snapshot
The July 26 action is a coordinated protest led by the CUB Trasporti union for airport workers and by multiple unions representing Volotea's flight crews. Both groups cite stalled contract talks, low staffing ratios, and unpaid overtime. Because the walkout hits midday-Italy's busiest departure bank-airlines face an operational bottleneck. Rome-Fiumicino (FCO), Milan-Malpensa (MXP), and Venice (VCE) project reduced ramp capacity, longer security queues, and limited refueling and catering services. Italy's strike-law "golden windows" mandate full service from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and ENAC has published a guaranteed-flight list. Outside those slots, carriers retain discretion to cancel or reroute.
Background
Italy has averaged more than 120 transport Strike days each year since 2019, using industrial action to pressure employers during peak travel months. The aviation sector is particularly fractious because multiple handling firms compete inside each airport, fragmenting wage scales and overtime rules. Volotea personnel voted 78 percent in favor of the July 26 stoppage after mediation collapsed on June 19. Ground workers filed their strike notice with the Transport Ministry on May 30, triggering the legal cooling-off clock. Earlier July walkouts by baggage handlers and EasyJet crews previewed the impact, canceling 450 flights in one day. Recent Adept Traveler coverage of Europe's broader strike wave outlines how labor shortages amplify each protest's ripple effect.
Latest Developments
Italian carriers have started contingency planning:
Who Is Striking
- Ground staff: baggage handlers, ramp agents, security, and refuelers at all mainland airports.
- Volotea crews: all Italy-based flight decks and cabins, plus crews operating intra-EU routes.
- Swissport Linate and Malpensa units: parallel four-hour stoppage endorsed by UILT-UIL and FILT-CGIL.
Guaranteed Flight Windows
ENAC reiterates that departures scheduled before 1 p.m. may operate if airborne by 1 p.m., and flights leaving after 5 p.m. must wait until the Strike formally ends. Essential public-interest services-including medical flights and island lifeline routes-are fully protected. Airlines must notify passengers of cancellations at least 24 hours in advance where feasible.
Airline Responses
- ITA Airways: voluntary rebooking or refund for July 25-27 itineraries issued on or before July 17.
- Volotea: fee-free date changes within 14 days; call centers extended to 24-hour staffing July 24-28.
- Delta, United, American: no waivers yet, but agents may reissue on a case-by-case basis if partners cancel feeders.
Analysis
For U.S. travelers beginning or ending trips in Italy, the Strike hits the heart of summer holiday traffic. Even flights outside the 1 p.m.-5 p.m. window risk crew-duty-time infringements and slot-cascade delays. Long-haul departures from New York or Chicago scheduled to land shortly before the stoppage may be held at origin, compressing turn-times and jeopardizing onward rail or Cruise connections. Travelers booked through Paris or Barcelona on Volotea code-shares could face knock-on cancellations because aircraft and crews will be out of rotation.
Smart mitigation starts with booking morning departures, carrying same-day rail or bus backup options, and using Apple Wallet or Google Pay boarding passes that auto-update gate changes. Trip-cancellation insurance must be purchased before the June 19 Strike ballot to cover industrial action. Working with a Travel Advisor adds real-time re-accommodation leverage, seat-only ticketing on Trenitalia or Italo, and access to alternate hubs such as Zurich or Munich.
Final Thoughts
July 26 will test Italy's air-travel resilience at the height of travel season. Build in generous layovers, confirm Hotel late-arrival policies, and download your airline's app for push alerts. If a flight cancels, insist on duty-of-care meals and lodging under EU 261 before arranging self-paid alternatives. Most important, pack patience and a flexible mindset so that the Italy airport strike becomes a minor detour, not a holiday-ending crisis.
Sources
- Italian Transport Ministry Strike Database - 26 July 2025 entry (https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi)
- ENAC: "Voli garantiti in caso di sciopero" advisory (https://www.enac.gov.it/trasporto-aereo/diritto-alla-mobilita/scioperi-nel-trasporto-aereo/voli-garantiti/)
- Volotea Crew Strike Notice, UILT-UIL (union bulletin, 19 June 2025)