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Italy Air Transport Strike, September 26: Timetable and Plan

Baggage carts on the Milan Malpensa ramp during Italy air transport strike planning, with apron equipment staged for limited operations.
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7 min read

Italy faces a second aviation strike day on September 26, with overlapping actions by national unions and targeted ground-handling stoppages. Volotea flight crews are slated to strike for 24 hours, while Airport Handling workers at Milan Linate Airport (LIN) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) will stop for four hours late morning. Italy's ENAC rules still protect specific flights and time bands, but travelers should expect trimmed schedules, slower processing, and rolling delays across hubs.

Key Points

  • Why it matters: National and local strikes combine to thin schedules and slow airport services.
  • Travel impact: Volotea 24-hour walkout, plus a 1000-1400 Airport Handling stop at LIN and MXP.
  • What's next: ENAC will publish guaranteed-flight lists near the date; airlines will adjust timetables.
  • CUB Trasporti has called a 24-hour air-sector strike covering airports and airline support roles.
  • Assohandlers-member ground handlers are planning a four-hour national stop the same day.

Snapshot

Friday, September 26, will bring coordinated air-sector actions in Italy. A 24-hour national strike called by CUB Trasporti covers the airport and airline ecosystem, from ramp and baggage to support services. Volotea's flight crews are slated to strike all day, creating concentrated schedule risk on the carrier's domestic and short-haul network. Milan's LIN and MXP add a local pinch point when Airport Handling workers stop from 1000 to 1400, slowing check-in and baggage flows. ENAC's strike rules require airlines to operate during protected windows, 0700-1000 and 1800-2100, and to fly certain listed services such as single-frequency island links. Expect proactive cancellations outside the protected windows and longer lines even when flights run.

Background

Italy treats air transport as an essential public service. Unions may strike, but the law mandates minimum service, including protected time bands and specific guaranteed flights. ENAC publishes the guaranteed list for each action near the date, which typically covers all departures scheduled in the 0700-1000 and 1800-2100 windows, plus certain lifeline services, state and medical flights, and single-frequency island connections. The September 26 actions follow a month of aviation labor unrest that already hit Italian airports on September 6 and a separate 24-hour Airport Handling walkout on September 14 in Milan. Travelers have seen airlines thin schedules ahead of strike windows and consolidate operations into the guaranteed bands. Prior Italian actions show that even when your flight is protected, airport throughput can lag because ramp, baggage, and customer-service staffing is uneven. Build time into any connection and favor nonstop itineraries when possible.

Latest Developments

Who is striking on September 26, and when

CUB Trasporti, a national base union, has filed a 24-hour air-transport strike for September 26, 0000-2359, covering airport and airline support roles. Uiltrasporti has called a 24-hour national strike for Volotea flight crews the same day. Ground-handling unions tied to Assohandlers have noticed a concurrent four-hour national stop. In Milan, Airport Handling S.p.A. staff at LIN and MXP will stop specifically from 1000 to 1400, adding a local bottleneck for check-in, ramp, and baggage. Some listings also show additional Milan handling firms, such as ALHA and MLE, aligned to the same 1000-1400 window. Expect carriers to pre-trim flying outside protected windows and to retime some departures into the morning and evening bands to reduce cancellations. Volotea schedules are most exposed, with potential rolling delays even where flights operate.

Relevant context: Major Italian airport walkouts threaten mid-summer travel on July 10, 2025, Italy Airport Strike on July 26: What Travelers Need to Know.

How protected flights work on strike day

Italy's strike regime preserves minimum mobility. Two daily protected windows, 0700-1000 and 1800-2100, are intended to ensure continuity, especially for long-haul and early-evening banks. ENAC also lists flights that must operate regardless of time, including state, emergency, medical, humanitarian flights, and certain island lifelines. In practice, airlines re-rack timetables to concentrate departures into the protected bands, then cancel or combine services outside them. If your flight is scheduled inside a protected window, it should still operate, though it can depart late due to ground-handling slowdowns or aircraft rotation. If your flight sits outside the windows, assume higher cancellation risk, particularly during the 1000-1400 Milan handling stop. Monitor for retimes and same-day swaps. Leave extra time for bag drop and security; arrive with carry-on only if feasible.

Practical timetable for Friday, September 26 (all times CEST)

  • 0000-2359, nationwide: CUB Trasporti air-sector strike, airport and airline support roles.
  • 0700-1000, nationwide: Protected window, flights required to operate.
  • 1000-1400, Milan LIN and MXP: Airport Handling stop, plus aligned handling firms, slowing ramp, baggage, and check-in.
  • 1800-2100, nationwide: Protected window, flights required to operate.
  • 0000-2359, nationwide carrier: Volotea flight-crew strike, anticipate trimmed schedule and rolling delays.
  • 1000-1400, selected airports: Assohandlers-member ground handlers four-hour national stop, local effects vary by airport.

Analysis

The September 26 calendar stacks a national labor action with targeted handling stoppages, which matters operationally because protected-window flying can run while ground services still lag. Expect the morning bank to be comparatively resilient, then a softening through midday as handling crews pause in Milan and at other airports where Assohandlers members join. The evening bank should be the day's second best shot at on-time departures, yet recovery depends on aircraft and crew rotations completing earlier legs. Volotea's all-day staff strike adds concentrated risk on thinner point-to-point routes where there is less substitution. Where multiple handling contractors operate at the same field, effects can diverge by airline, so two flights at the same time may see different outcomes.

What matters for travelers is not only whether a flight is legally protected, but whether the upstream aircraft and bag-room staffing are intact. Airlines will likely front-load departures into 0700-1000, then hold nonessential midsession trips, resuming strength after 18:00. LIN and MXP will feel the sharpest midday pinch because Airport Handling services a large share of carriers there. Secondary cities could see less dramatic queues, but any airport relying on an Assohandlers member may run short. For same-day connections, aim to depart in the morning window and connect again in the evening window, or rebook to a nonstop. If you must fly midday, carry on, print or download boarding passes, and build a generous buffer at bag drop.

Final Thoughts

Plan your day around the protected windows and the Milan handling stop to keep control of your trip. If you are on Volotea, verify rebooking options now and consider shifting to a morning or evening departure. For LIN and MXP flyers, assume slower bag drops from 1000 to 1400, even if your flight is protected. Nonstop itineraries are your friend on strike days. Build buffers, travel with carry-on, and watch for airline retimes as schedules consolidate into the legal windows. With a simple, hour-by-hour plan, you can minimize surprises during the Italy air transport strike.

Sources

Remediation checklist for travelers

  • Move departures into 0700-1000 or 1800-2100 where possible.
  • If booked on Volotea, check app notifications, free rebooking, and partner reaccommodation.
  • Flying LIN/MXP 1000-1400, use carry-on, arrive early, and consider manual bag-drop kiosks.
  • Favor nonstops; if connecting, target a morning-to-evening pattern.
  • Download boarding passes, verify contact info, and enable trip alerts.
  • Keep receipts if you self-rebook, then claim refunds per airline policy.
  • If your flight is protected but delayed, stay at the gate, as turnaround crews clear backlogs in waves.

Traveler-friendly timetable you can save (CEST)

  • 0000-2359 National air-transport strike, CUB Trasporti, nationwide.
  • 0700-1000 Protected window, flights should operate.
  • 1000-1400 Airport Handling stop at LIN and MXP, plus some Assohandlers members nationally.
  • 1800-2100 Protected window, flights should operate.
  • 0000-2359 Volotea flight-crew strike.

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