Italy Airport Strike Recap, Residual Disruption Today

Published on Oct 30, 2025, 9:48 am CDT

4 min read

Key points

Ground staff walked out for 24 hours on October 29 at Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Pisa and Florence
Knock-on effects today include missed connections, baggage delays and thin schedules outside protected windows
ENAC guarantees flights 7:00-10:00 and 6:00-9:00 p.m. local during strikes, with reduced operations otherwise
Some airline and third-party ground-handler stoppages overlapped midday on October 29, compounding disruption
Duty of care applies under EU261, even when compensation is not due for third-party strikes

Impact

Connections: Leave longer transfer buffers at Milan, Pisa and Florence, and monitor gate changes in airline apps
Protected Windows: Expect more reliable operations 7:00-10:00 and 6:00-9:00 p.m. local under ENAC rules
Rebooking: Use self-service tools first, then airport agents; same-day reroutes via Rome or Bologna may help
Baggage: Allow extra time at belts and for delayed delivery; file Property Irregularity Reports before leaving
Duty Of Care: Airlines must provide meals, hotels and transport during long waits even if cash compensation is not due

Italy's airport ground-handling strikes on Wednesday, October 29, triggered cancellations, schedule thinning, and baggage-handling delays at Milan Linate Airport (LIN), Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), Pisa International Airport (PSA), and Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR). While the official 24-hour actions have ended, travelers connecting on Thursday, October 30, are encountering residual disruptions, including missed connections and longer rebooking lines. Italy's civil aviation authority, ENAC, reminds travelers that flights in the protected time bands continue to operate, while capacity outside those windows may be constrained as airlines reposition crews and clear backlogs.

What changed and why it matters

Multiple unions representing ground staff, including handlers and cleaners, staged a 24-hour walkout at the four airports, with additional four-hour stoppages by Air France and KLM ground staff around midday and Vueling flight crews in the early afternoon. The overlap of airport-wide handling strikes and airline-specific actions amplified operational stress at check-in, boarding, and baggage areas, producing cancellations and late-arriving aircraft that ripple into today's schedules.

ENAC's protected-flight windows

Under ENAC's strike framework, flights scheduled between 700 and 1000 a.m. and again between 600 and 900 p.m. local time are "protected" and should operate. Outside those windows, ENAC allows limited operations and may authorize about 20 percent of scheduled flights to run, prioritizing essential services. Travelers should still expect thinner schedules and potential delays as airlines rebuild rotations.

Background, how it works: ENAC's "fasce di garanzia" protect certain hours each strike day to maintain mobility for essential traffic. Airlines then reshape the rest of the day's program, often canceling clusters of flights outside the protected bands to create workable blocks of operation and ensure crew legality. If you are booked outside the protected periods, watch your airline app for retimes or proactive reaccommodation.

Today's residual effects, October 30

With aircraft and crew out of position from yesterday's actions, the first bank of departures this morning can still see irregular operations. Baggage delivery, already slowed by strike staffing levels, may trail flights by hours in some cases. If you have a same-day connection, consider rerouting through airports with more capacity, such as Rome Fiumicino or Bologna, where carriers may find seats more readily. Lines at service desks can swell during midday; self-service changes in apps and web portals are typically faster, and many carriers will let you move to later flights without a fee during irregular operations.

Your rights: refunds, rebooking, and care

Under EU Regulation 261/2004, airlines owe you a choice between rebooking and a refund for cancellations or very long delays. When disruptions stem from third-party strikes, such as airport ground handlers, cash compensation often does not apply because it is considered an "extraordinary circumstance." However, the airline's duty of care remains in force, which means meals, reasonable hotel accommodation, and ground transport during long waits must be provided. Keep receipts and request written confirmation of eligibility from the carrier.

If you are traveling on an EU itinerary, the right to care triggers after lengthy delays at departure and continues even when compensation is not payable. Check your carrier's notifications and, if needed, ask airport staff where to collect meal vouchers or hotel information.

Planning tips for the next 48 hours

If your flight falls in the ENAC protected windows, it is more likely to operate; still, verify the latest status and leave extra time at security and baggage claim. For tight connections today, move to a longer layover or a later flight. If you checked a bag yesterday and it did not arrive, file a Property Irregularity Report before leaving the airport and track updates in your airline's app. For itineraries involving Milan, Pisa, or Florence through Friday morning, consider travel insurance benefits for trip delay to cover out-of-pocket costs that duty of care does not reimburse.

Internal resources: See our earlier advisory on the October 29 strike plan and our daily FAA-style operational outlook for broader Europe impacts.

Final thoughts

The strike window has closed, but Italy's flight operations need the rest of today to normalize. Use airline apps for live rebooking, aim for protected time bands when possible, and leverage EU261's duty-of-care provisions to stay comfortable while schedules reset.