Italy Airport Strikes Today, What Travelers Should Do

Italy faces a day of airport disruption on October 29, 2025, as 24-hour actions hit Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Florence, and Pisa. Italy's civil aviation authority confirms two "fasce di tutela," 7-10 a.m. and 6-9 p.m. local, when flights must operate. Separate four-hour stoppages add pressure, with Vueling flight and cabin crews from 1-5 p.m., and Air France and KLM ground staff from noon-4 p.m. Travelers should move bookings into protected windows where possible, monitor airline messages, and use EU passenger-rights remedies when flights are canceled or severely delayed.

Airports and who is striking

The 24-hour actions cover airport ground services at Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa in Lombardy, and Pisa and Florence in Tuscany. Company-specific notices point to Airport Handling and Swissport Italia activity at the Milan airports, while Consulta staff are out at Pisa and Florence. Facility services at Malpensa are also affected. These stoppages target check-in, boarding, baggage handling, and associated airport support, which creates knock-on delays even when flights operate.

Time windows, today

Italy's aviation regulator ENAC states that two protected bands apply during strikes, 7-10 a.m. and 6-9 p.m., when flights must go ahead, along with essential operations such as state, medical, humanitarian, territorial-continuity, and long-haul arrivals already en route before the strike. Outside these bands, ENAC's minimum-service rule authorizes only a limited slice of scheduled flights, so expect cancellations and crew-connection delays to concentrate midday and late evening.

Extra four-hour stoppages

Two targeted actions compound the disruption. Air France and KLM ground staff in Italy stop from noon to 400 p.m., under an action called by FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL, UILT-UIL, and UGL-TA. Vueling personnel stop from 100 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with actions declared by USB Lavoro Privato, UILT-UIL, and FILT-CGIL/ANPAC. If you hold tickets on these carriers today, build a wider buffer, and proactively request rebooking into the protected windows.

Unions behind today's actions

Today's strike map reflects a coalition of national and base unions, including FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL, UILT-UIL, UGL-TA, USB Lavoro Privato, CUB Trasporti, and FLAI Trasporti e Servizi, across handling companies at the four airports named. Local calendars list the company and airport pairings and confirm the 24-hour duration from 1200 a.m. to 1159 p.m.

Refunds, rerouting, and compensation

Under EU Regulation 261, if your flight is canceled you must be offered a choice of refund, earliest possible reroute, or reroute at a later date of your choosing under comparable conditions. If your delay reaches five hours, you may abandon travel and obtain a refund for the unused portion, plus a return to your origin if relevant. Airlines must also provide care such as meals, communications, and hotel where required during waits. Cash compensation does not usually apply when disruption is caused by strikes considered "extraordinary circumstances," but the refund and rerouting rights still stand. Italy's ENAC provides the complaint pathway if carriers fail to comply.

What to do now

If you can move to an earlier or later departure inside the protected bands, do it. If not, expect longer lines at check-in and bag drop, especially at Milan's airports, and have the airline app installed with push notifications enabled. If your flight is canceled, decide quickly between refund and reroute. If you choose reroute and must wait, request care benefits as outlined by EU 261 and keep receipts for reasonable expenses. Finally, if you have a tight connection on a separate ticket, rebook the second leg or shift to rail to avoid misconnecting during the unprotected hours.

Final thoughts

Italy airport strikes today, with added four-hour actions at Vueling and at Air France and KLM ground services, will pinch the midday schedule most, then ease within the protected bands. Use the 7-10 a.m. and 6-9 p.m. windows, know your EU 261 remedies, and keep your airline app close.

Sources

• ENAC, "Voli garantiti in caso di sciopero" and note on protected time bands and essential flights
• ENAC, "Prestazioni minime garantite" (limited flights outside protected bands)
• Corriere della Sera, "Sciopero degli aerei di 24 ore il 29 ottobre" (airports, protected bands, AF/KLM noon-4)
• Fanpage, "Sciopero aerei mercoledì 29 ottobre" (AF/KLM noon-4, Vueling 1-5)
• The Flight Club, "Sciopero del 29 ottobre" (handling companies at LIN, MXP, PSA, FLR)
• Italian strike calendars, MIT and CGSSE (company-airport pairings, 24-hour duration)
• EU "Your Europe," Air Passenger Rights, refund and reroute choices under EU 261
• Travel Quotidiano, day-of summary with ENAC quote on protected bands