Published on : 13 Jun 2026
Published: June 13, 2026 — Saturday (LIVE STRIKE DAY · Italy Aviation Crisis · Day 74 of European Chaos) Strike status RIGHT NOW: 🔴 ACTIVE — easyJet walkout running 06:00–24:00 Italian time ENAV Verona ATC: 🔴 ACTIVE — 06:00–24:00 — ALL airlines at VRN shut out SOGAER Cagliari ground + security: 🔴 ACTIVE — 06:00–24:00 UGL-TA Cagliari second wave: 🔴 ACTIVE from 12:00–16:00 — double disruption now Sky Service Milan Linate: 🔴 ACTIVE from 12:00–16:00 — baggage + ramp halted NOW Why easyJet workers are striking: Renewal of collective labour agreement — 4th walkout after 4 failed conciliation procedures — Uiltrasporti: “18 hours to make clear that our dignity is not for sale” Previous strikes: January 31 · February 26 · May 11 · Today June 13 — fourth and longest EasyJet Italy flights at risk: ~210 cancellations from ~500 scheduled Saturday rotations Passengers affected: 40,000+ easyJet alone — AirAdvisor estimate Morning protected window: 07:00–10:00 ✅ (Italian time) — flights operated Evening protected window: 18:00–21:00 ✅ (Italian time) — flights expected to operate Outside protected windows: 🔴 Only 20% of flights permitted — ~80% cancellation probability July 5 next major Italy strike: 24-hour nationwide ground handling + Milan ACC ATC — ALL airports EasyJet compensation (carrier strike): ✅ Up to €600 / £520 per passenger ENAV Verona / Cagliari / Linate compensation: ❌ Extraordinary circumstance — no cash Duty of care ALL cancellations: ✅ Meals · Hotel · Transport · Rebooking — unconditional EasyJet rebook portal: easyjet.com → Manage Bookings EU261 free claim check: airhelp.com ENAC guaranteed flights: enac.gov.it
It is happening right now. The Italy aviation strike that has been building since January — through three previous walkouts, four failed conciliation procedures, and two weeks of escalating warnings on this site — is live as you read this. EasyJet pilots and cabin crew have been on strike since 06:00 this morning Italian time. Verona Airport is effectively closed to every airline using it, not just easyJet. Cagliari is being hit by two simultaneous actions at once — ground staff and security walking out for 18 hours with a second separate union action layering on top from noon. Milan Linate’s ground handling went dark at 12:00. If your flight is cancelled today — and the probability outside the protected windows is approximately 4-in-5 — you are entitled to cash compensation of up to €600, a full refund, or rebooking. You do not need a lawyer. You do not need to accept a voucher. This guide tells you exactly what to do, right now, in the next 30 minutes.
EasyJet’s Italian-based pilots and cabin crew are on strike across every Italian airport. This is the fourth easyJet Italy walkout of 2026 — the others ran on January 31, February 26, and May 11 — and it is the longest single-day action yet at 18 hours.
The national strike has been called by five trade unions — Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Ta, and Anpac — as well as USB Lavoro Privato for cabin crew. At the centre of the dispute is the renewal of the collective labour agreement. This is the fourth time easyJet workers have walked out, following three earlier strikes and four failed conciliation procedures. The Uiltrasporti union has stated that “industrial relations have collapsed” and described today’s action as “18 hours to make clear that our dignity is not for sale.”
The scale today is greater than any previous Italy easyJet action. The May 11 strike ran for 8 hours and cancelled approximately 180 rotations. Today’s action runs for 18 hours — more than twice as long — covering virtually the entire operating day. AirAdvisor estimates that up to 40,000 easyJet passengers could be affected today, based on easyJet’s Italian Saturday schedule of approximately 500 flights, with around 210 subject to cancellation outside the two protected windows.
What is running right now:
| Time window (Italian CEST) | UK equivalent (BST) | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00–07:00 | 05:00–06:00 | 🔴 Strike — limited operation |
| 07:00–10:00 | 06:00–09:00 | 🟢 PROTECTED — flights operated |
| 10:00–18:00 | 09:00–17:00 | 🔴 Strike — ~80% cancellation rate |
| 18:00–21:00 | 17:00–20:00 | 🟢 PROTECTED — flights expected |
| 21:00–24:00 | 20:00–23:00 | 🔴 Strike — limited operation |
If your easyJet flight departed in the 07:00–10:00 window: It should have operated. If it was delayed significantly even within the protected window, check easyjet.com → Manage Bookings for your specific flight status — some protected-window flights still ran late due to ground positioning pressure from other cancelled rotations.
If your easyJet flight is scheduled between 10:00 and 18:00: Expect cancellation. Check the app immediately if you have not already.
If your easyJet flight is scheduled for the 18:00–21:00 window: It is in the evening protected slot and expected to operate — but allow 60–90 minutes of additional delay buffer as the airport recovers from the day’s chaos.
ENAV air-traffic-control staff at Verona Villafranca Airport are striking over the same 18-hour window, with flights scheduled between 10:00 and 18:00 especially exposed. Unlike the easyJet carrier strike — which only grounds easyJet flights — this ATC walkout eliminates Verona’s operational capacity for every airline at the airport.
What this means if you are flying Ryanair, Jet2 or TUI to Verona today: Your airline is not on strike. But the air traffic controllers who authorise every departure and arrival at Verona are. Without ATC, no aircraft can safely depart or arrive at VRN during the strike window, regardless of which airline is operating it.
The confirmed cancellations reported before the strike day began — TUI BY8156 London Gatwick → Verona, Ryanair FR5644 Tirana → Verona — have now been joined by the full day’s disruption at VRN. If you were due to fly into Verona today with any carrier, contact your airline or tour operator directly now.
If you have a package holiday starting today at Verona: Your tour operator is legally obligated under the Package Travel Regulations 2018 (UK) or EU Package Travel Directive to offer you a comparable alternative or a full package refund. Call your operator now — not tomorrow. The nearest alternative airport for Lake Garda passengers is Milan Bergamo (BGY), approximately 75 minutes by road.
Cagliari is the most layered disruption point today. Two separate actions are running simultaneously:
Action A (SOGAER, Sogaerdyn, SOGAER Security): 18-hour walkout, active since 06:00, running to 24:00. Covers ground handling, ramp operations and security screening across the entire airport.
Action B (UGL-TA Cagliari): A second 4-hour walkout active NOW from 12:00 to 16:00, layered directly on top of Action A. This concentrated midday window — when Action A is also fully active — is the single worst 4-hour slot for Sardinia passengers on today’s timetable.
If you are at Cagliari Airport right now between 12:00 and 16:00 Italian time: you are in the worst disruption window of the entire day at CAG. Ground handling and security are both disrupted. Do not leave your gate area. Keep all receipts for food and water — duty of care applies and you can claim these back.
If you need to fly to Sardinia today: Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) in northern Sardinia is not included in today’s action and is operating normally. If your destination is accessible from northern Sardinia, contact your airline today about an Olbia alternative.
Sky Service ground-handling personnel at Milan Linate are on a 4-hour walkout from 12:00 to 16:00. This action does not shut Linate — aircraft can still land and depart — but it disrupts check-in, baggage handling, ramp operations and turnaround for the midday window. Passengers on Linate departures between 12:00 and 16:00 should expect:
Milan Malpensa (MXP) is NOT included in today’s action and is operating normally. If you have a Linate booking today that has not yet been cancelled, you will likely fly — but not on time.
| Airport | Code | Strike active? | Risk | All airlines or one? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verona Villafranca | VRN | 🔴 YES — ENAV ATC 18hrs | CRITICAL | ⚠️ ALL airlines |
| Cagliari–Elmas | CAG | 🔴 YES — Ground 18hrs + 4hrs | CRITICAL | ⚠️ ALL airlines at CAG |
| Milan Linate | LIN | 🔴 YES — 12:00–16:00 | MEDIUM | ⚠️ Ground side only |
| Rome Fiumicino | FCO | easyJet strike only | MEDIUM | easyJet flights only |
| Milan Malpensa | MXP | easyJet strike only | LOW-MEDIUM | easyJet flights only |
| Venice Marco Polo | VCE | easyJet strike only | LOW-MEDIUM | easyJet flights only |
| Naples Capodichino | NAP | easyJet strike only | LOW-MEDIUM | easyJet flights only |
| Bologna Marconi | BLQ | easyJet limited presence | LOW | easyJet flights only |
| Florence Peretola | FLR | No action today | 🟢 NORMAL | — |
| Turin Caselle | TRN | No action today | 🟢 NORMAL | — |
| Olbia Costa Smeralda | OLB | No action today | 🟢 NORMAL | — |
| All other Italian airports | — | No action today | 🟢 NORMAL | — |
Today is not an isolated event. It is the fourth time easyJet Italy workers have walked out in 2026, following strikes on January 31, February 26, and May 11. Four separate conciliation procedures between easyJet management and the unions have failed to produce an agreement.
The core dispute is the renewal of easyJet Italy’s collective labour agreement — the contract governing pay, working conditions, rostering, and employment terms for pilots and cabin crew based in Italy. Italian aviation employment contracts operate under a national framework agreement, and easyJet’s Italian subsidiary has been unable to reach terms acceptable to the five unions representing its workforce here.
Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport — led by Minister Matteo Salvini — has repeatedly attempted to block these strikes through precautionary injunctions. Those injunctions have been refused by the unions throughout 2026, and the strikes have proceeded.
The pattern is significant for travellers planning future Italy trips. The dispute shows no sign of resolution. On April 10, 2026, air traffic control strikes in Italy caused 464 cancellations and 713 delays across airlines including Ryanair, Wizz Air, Helvetic, and easyJet at airports including Rome, Milan, Venice, and Bologna. On May 11, 2026, simultaneous ATC and easyJet cabin crew and pilot strikes in Italy significantly disrupted air traffic, with ITA Airways cancelling approximately 38% of its flights. June 13 follows the same pattern — but runs for longer than either previous major action.
The easyJet Italy dispute is structural, not seasonal. Until a new collective labour agreement is signed, further strikes are possible at any point this summer. The next confirmed high-risk date for Italy aviation is June 26, when a full 24-hour nationwide ground-handling strike is scheduled across every Italian airport. July 5 carries an even greater risk — a simultaneous national ground handling strike, ENAV Milan ACC ATC strike covering all of Northern Italy’s airspace, and additional actions at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa. Any flight transiting Northern Italian airspace on July 5 — not just those landing in Italy — faces disruption risk.
If your flight has just been cancelled and you are at the airport: do not walk out of the terminal without first completing the following steps. Leaving the airport without claiming your rights means losing the easiest route to duty of care reimbursement.
At the airport right now:
EasyJet’s phone lines today will have extraordinary wait times — tens of thousands of passengers calling simultaneously. The fastest route to rebooking is:
easyjet.com → Manage Bookings → enter booking reference → Choose: Refund or Rebook
The app and website allow you to select your preferred remedy directly without waiting on hold. This works for both EU261 refunds and rebooking requests.
Under EU261 and UK261, the choice of remedy belongs to the passenger — not the airline.
Option A — Full cash refund:
Option B — Rebooking:
Regardless of whether you choose a refund or rebooking — and regardless of the cause of cancellation — you are entitled to duty of care from the moment of cancellation:
All duty of care expenses must be submitted to easyJet within 28 days. Use: easyjet.com → Help → EU261 claim form. Attach all receipts as photos.
Today’s easyJet walkout is classified as a carrier-controlled industrial action under EU261 and UK261. It is NOT an extraordinary circumstance. This is the most important legal fact of the day. It means financial compensation is payable in addition to the refund or rebooking.
Passengers affected by this flight disruption may be eligible for compensation of up to €600 under passenger rights regulations. You can claim up to €600 compensation for delays over 3 hours and cancellations announced less than 2 weeks before departure.
| Your route | Distance | Compensation per person |
|---|---|---|
| UK–Venice, UK–Naples, UK–Bologna | Under 1,500 km | €250 / £220 |
| UK–Rome, UK–Milan, UK–Catania | ~1,400–1,600 km | €250–€400 / £220–£350 |
| UK–Cagliari (Sardinia) | ~1,850 km | €400 / £350 |
| Amsterdam–Rome, Berlin–Milan | Varies 1,200–1,700 km | €250–€400 |
| Any route over 3,500 km | Over 3,500 km | €600 / £520 |
Family example: Two adults + two children on a cancelled Gatwick–Rome easyJet flight = 4 × €250 = €1,000 cash compensation on top of their full ticket refund. Plus duty of care for any meals, transport and hotel.
Disruptions caused by air traffic control staff and third-party ground handling personnel are legally classified as extraordinary circumstances. Consequently, airlines are exempt from paying direct cash compensation for these specific delays or cancellations. However, the operating carrier is still legally obligated to provide a full ticket refund, rebooking on the next available flight, or an alternative rerouting to the destination, plus duty of care including free meals, refreshments, and access to communication.
If your flight was cancelled due to the Verona ATC strike or Cagliari ground strike — and you were not also on an easyJet flight subject to the carrier strike — you cannot claim the €600 cash compensation. But your refund, rebooking and duty of care rights are fully intact and enforceable.
If you have been rebooked onto a Florence-connecting itinerary tomorrow, or if your Tuscany travel plans have been disrupted today and you are now planning to arrive via Florence on Sunday — be aware: COBAS Lavoro Privato has called a 24-hour company strike at Autolinee Toscane for the Florence urban network on June 14, 2026. Tram services in Florence operated by GEST also face a 24-hour strike on June 14, with guaranteed windows 06:30–09:30 and 17:00–20:00.
Florence’s airport bus connection and city tram network will both be disrupted on Sunday. If you are flying into Florence Peretola tomorrow as an alternative to a cancelled today-flight, plan your ground transport in advance — taxis and private transfers are unaffected by the bus/tram action.
With today’s action now confirmed as easyJet’s fourth Italian walkout this year, the question for travellers is not just “what happened today” — it is “when is the next one.”
Two dates are already confirmed and represent higher risk than today:
June 26, 2026 — Nationwide Ground Handling Strike: A full 24-hour nationwide ground-handling strike is scheduled across every Italian airport on June 26. Unlike today’s easyJet carrier-specific action, June 26 affects every airline at every Italian airport simultaneously. If you are flying to or from Italy on June 26, this is the date to start monitoring now.
July 5, 2026 — Highest-Risk Day of the Summer: Italy’s most dangerous aviation day this summer involves a national ground handling strike across all airports, an ENAV Milan ACC (Air Control Centre) ATC strike covering all of Northern Italian airspace, and additional actions at Malpensa, Fiumicino and Ciampino. The Milan ACC strike is the most significant element — it affects not just flights landing in Italy but every flight routing through Northern Italian airspace, including transalpine routes between Central Europe and the Mediterranean. Book July 5 Italian flights with extreme caution and confirm travel insurance strike cover before departure.
| Airline / Airport | Where to check status NOW |
|---|---|
| EasyJet — your flight | easyjet.com → Manage Bookings → booking reference |
| EasyJet — EU261 claim | easyjet.com → Help → EU261 Compensation |
| Ryanair — Verona flights | ryanair.com → My Bookings → flight status |
| Jet2 — Verona flights | jet2.com → Manage My Booking |
| TUI — Verona flights | tui.co.uk → Manage My Booking |
| Wizz Air | wizzair.com → Manage Booking |
| ENAC guaranteed flights list | enac.gov.it → search: voli garantiti sciopero |
| Verona Airport live | aeroportoverona.it → Flight Information |
| Cagliari Airport live | sogaer.it → Flight Info |
| Milan Linate live | milanolinate-airport.com → Flights |
| Rome Fiumicino live | adr.it → Fiumicino → Departures/Arrivals |
| AirHelp free EU261 check | airhelp.com |
| Operator | Contact | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| EasyJet — rebook/refund | easyjet.com → Manage Bookings | ⭐ Use app first — faster than phone |
| EasyJet — EU261 claim | easyjet.com → Help → Claim | File today or within 28 days |
| Ryanair — rebook | ryanair.com → My Bookings | Chat faster than phone |
| Jet2 — rebook | jet2.com → Manage · 0800 408 1350 (UK) | Call for Verona package |
| TUI — package holidays | tui.co.uk → Contact · 0203 451 2688 (UK) | Package PTR rights stronger |
| Wizz Air | wizzair.com → Manage Booking | App recommended |
| ITA Airways | ita-airways.com → Manage · +39 06 8520 7777 | |
| UK CAA (UK261 escalation) | caa.co.uk/consumers | If easyJet rejects claim |
| AirHelp (free check) | airhelp.com | Success fee only if you win |
| ClaimCompass | claimcompass.eu | Alternative free EU261 checker |
Posted By : Vinay
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