Italy Aviation Strike LIVE October 16, 2026: easyJet 200 Flights Cancelled — ITA Airways 13 London Flights Gone — Venice Marco Polo Security Staff Walk Out — Tuscany Airports Pisa + Florence Ground Staff Strike — Leeds Bradford Security Strike Day 2 — France Strike Starts TOMORROW October 17 — ENAC Protected Windows 07:00–10:00 + 18:00–21:00 — Complete EU261 + UK261 Live Rights Guide

Published: October 16, 2026 — Friday (⚠️ LIVE TODAY · Strike active 00:00–23:59 · Source: ENAC Italy · Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport strike register · easyJet official · ITA Airways official · AeroCorner · Pixidia — all confirmed)

It is happening today. Everything that was forecast, warned about, and prepared for across weeks of coverage is now live.

The easyJet Italy crew strike has been active since midnight. Venice Marco Polo Airport’s security staff walked out at the start of the day. Tuscany airports — Pisa Galileo Galilei and Florence Peretola — have ground staff on strike, affecting check-in, baggage handling, and aircraft turnaround. ITA Airways has confirmed 13 direct flights between London and Italian destinations are cancelled. And in the UK, Leeds Bradford Airport is on day 2 of its three-day Unite security worker strike covering October 16, 17, and 18.

Tomorrow morning, the France aviation strike begins — Air France, Transavia France, and Corsair pilots and cabin crew walking out for five days through October 21. Europe’s autumn disruption calendar has converged on a 48-hour window unlike anything seen this season.

If you are flying to, from, or within Italy today — or flying from Leeds Bradford today — or flying anywhere via France tomorrow — this is your complete live guide.

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Published: October 16, 2026 — ⚠️ LIVE STATUS
Strike active: 00:00 → 23:59 — full 24 hours
Called by: USB Lavoro Privato (easyJet crew) · multiple unions (Venice security) · FILT-CGIL + others (Tuscany airports)
Strike filed: September 14, 2026 — Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport register — status: SCHEDULED / ACTIVE

ENAC PROTECTED WINDOWS — flights MUST operate:

• ✅ 07:00 → 10:00 — all flights departing Italy in this window are PROTECTED and must fly
• ✅ 18:00 → 21:00 — all flights departing Italy in this window are PROTECTED and must fly
• ⚠️ All other hours — at risk of cancellation

CONFIRMED CANCELLATIONS TODAY:

• ✈️❌ easyJet: ~200 UK flights to Rome and Milan cancelled — confirmed
• ✈️❌ ITA Airways: 13 direct London–Italy flights cancelled — confirmed by ITA Airways
• ⚠️ Additional airlines: Ryanair, Wizz Air, Vueling, Norwegian reporting cancellations and significant disruption — check individual airline apps

AIRPORTS DIRECTLY STRUCK TODAY:

• ⚠️ Venice Marco Polo (VCE): Security staff (Sicuritalia IVRI) — 24-hour walkout 00:00–23:59 — all departures at risk outside protected windows
• ⚠️ Pisa Galileo Galilei (PSA): Toscana Aeroporti + GH Toscana + Consulta ground staff — 24-hour strike — departures at risk outside protected windows
• ⚠️ Florence Peretola (FLR): Same Tuscany airports ground staff action — 24-hour strike

AIRPORTS NOT DIRECTLY STRUCK (but affected by easyJet crew action):

• ⚠️ Milan Malpensa (MXP) · Milan Linate (LIN) · Rome Fiumicino (FCO) · Naples Capodichino (NAP) · Bologna (BLQ) · Catania (CTA) · Palermo (PMO) · Bari (BRI) — all easyJet Italy-crew-operated routes affected

ALSO TODAY — LEEDS BRADFORD (UK):

• ⚠️ Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA): Day 2 of 3-day Unite security strike (October 16–18) — arrive minimum 3 hours early — security screening significantly slowed

TOMORROW — FRANCE AVIATION STRIKE STARTS:

• ⚠️ October 17–21: Air France, Transavia France, Corsair — pilots + cabin crew walkout — 36,000 aviation workers — Toussaint school holiday peak
• ✅ French ATC (DGAC controllers) strike AVERTED — controllers reached last-minute agreement — airspace disruption from ATC is not expected
• ⚠️ Air France cancellations expected from October 17 — check your booking NOW at airfrance.com

EU261 — easyJet OWN crew strike: ✅ Cash compensation potentially claimable — up to €250 short-haul · airlines’ own strike is NOT extraordinary circumstances EU261 — Venice security / Tuscany ground staff: ❌ Third-party strike = extraordinary circumstances — cash compensation NOT payable — refund + rebooking + care rights still apply UK261 — easyJet departing UK airports: ✅ Up to £220 short-haul — easyJet’s own crew — potentially claimable Full refund right: ✅ Applies to ALL cancelled flights regardless of cause

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Part 1 — RIGHT NOW: What Is Cancelled and What Is Protected

The most important facts for anyone at an Italian airport today are the two protected service windows. Italian law treats air transport as an essential service, meaning that even during a 24-hour strike, certain flights must operate. The ENAC (Italy’s civil aviation authority) guaranteed service mechanism requires airlines to maintain departures falling within the protected windows: 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00.

This means flights departing Italy between 07:00 and 10:00 this morning, and between 18:00 and 21:00 this evening, are protected and must fly unless there is a separate, independent reason (such as no crew availability because the incoming aircraft was itself cancelled). Flights scheduled to depart outside these windows — including all midday, afternoon, and late-night departures — are at the highest risk.

The practical reality today: if you are booked on an easyJet, ITA Airways, Ryanair, or Wizz Air flight from Italy, and your departure time is between 10:01 and 17:59, or after 21:01 tonight, that flight is in the most vulnerable window. Check its status immediately.

The ENAC guaranteed flight list — which shows the specific flights confirmed to operate under the protected windows — is published at enac.gov.it. Check this before leaving for the airport.

The easyJet picture:

Approximately 200 UK flights to and from Rome and Milan have been cancelled by easyJet, confirmed across multiple regional UK publications. The Star, the Scotsman, and the Stornoway Gazette all reported the 200-flight cancellation figure, with easyJet advising passengers it was “working to ensure anyone affected will be moved to other flights.” ITA Airways confirmed 13 direct London–Italian flights are cancelled.

easyJet’s Italy crew strike is nationwide — not airport-specific. It applies to cabin crew employed by easyJet in Italy at all Italian bases: Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Rome Fiumicino, Venice, Naples, and any other Italian base. Routes from London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, Amsterdam, Paris, and every other European city that deploys Italian-based crew are affected.

Why easyJet specifically?

The strike was called by USB Lavoro Privato on September 14, 2026, specifically against easyJet Airlines Limited in Italy. It applies to the company’s Italy-employed crew rather than to easyJet crew based in other countries. The dispute covers working conditions, pay, and contractual terms for Italian-based staff.

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Part 2 — Venice Marco Polo: What Security Strike Means Today

Venice Marco Polo Airport is the highest-profile airport facing direct security staff disruption today. Sicuritalia IVRI — the company providing security screening services at Marco Polo — has its staff on a 24-hour strike covering the full day from 00:00 to 23:59.

A security staff strike at an airport does not immediately mean the airport stops operating. Airlines and airports typically invoke emergency security protocols, bringing in supervisors, redeploying existing staff from other functions, and sometimes requesting police or military security assistance. However, the practical effect is a significantly reduced throughput — security queues become much longer, boarding gates are delayed, and aircraft miss their slot times because passengers cannot get through screening in time.

At Venice Marco Polo today, passengers should:

Allow a minimum of three hours at the airport for any departure. Arrive before 07:00 if your flight is in the morning protected window. Do not plan to arrive at the normal time and assume the strike will not affect your departure.

The protected windows apply: Marco Polo departures between 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 must operate. But if security screening is severely slowed, even a protected flight can experience departure delays.

Venice Marco Polo serves as a major hub for easyJet, Ryanair, Volotea, Wizz Air, Vueling, and ITA Airways on routes from across the UK and Europe. It is also the primary gateway for the November–December pre-winter tourism season to Venice, which peaks from late October.

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Part 3 — Tuscany: Pisa and Florence Ground Staff Strike

Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport and Florence Peretola Airport are both affected today by a strike of Toscana Aeroporti ground staff — the company that manages both airports — alongside GH Toscana and Consulta workers. This is a ground handling action affecting check-in desks, baggage loading, aircraft marshalling, and ramp services.

The practical effect at Pisa today is severe. Pisa is easyJet’s primary Tuscan base and a major hub for Ryanair and other European carriers serving Tuscany. With both easyJet crew on strike AND Pisa ground handlers on strike simultaneously, Pisa faces a double disruption — the airline’s own crew may not fly, and even if they are available, ground handling may not be available to turn aircraft around.

Florence Peretola is smaller but serves a high-value tourist and business market. Flights to London (operated by easyJet, Volotea, and ITA Airways) are particularly exposed.

Protected windows apply to both airports: Pisa and Florence departures in the 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 windows are guaranteed.

For passengers booked on Ryanair to Pisa today specifically: Ryanair operates its own ground handling arrangements in some airports and uses third-party ground handlers in others. At Pisa, check the Ryanair app directly — Ryanair has not confirmed mass cancellations for Pisa today but individual flights may be disrupted. Check before leaving for the airport.

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Part 4 — Leeds Bradford: Day 2 of Security Strike

Leeds Bradford Airport — Yorkshire’s primary regional airport — is on day 2 of its Unite security worker strike, running October 16, 17, and 18. The 130 striking workers are Unite union members employed in airport security screening.

Leeds Bradford operates flights to a large number of European leisure destinations — Malaga, Alicante, Palma, Tenerife, Lanzarote — operated primarily by Jet2 (the airport’s dominant carrier), Ryanair, and Wizz Air. None of these carriers have confirmed mass cancellations at Leeds Bradford due to the security strike, but departure processing is significantly slower with reduced security staffing.

For Leeds Bradford passengers today:

Arrive at Leeds Bradford a minimum of three hours before your departure. Do not cut your airport arrival time based on normal experience. Security queues on day 2 of an ongoing strike can be longer than day 1 as the accumulated pressure builds and fewer workarounds are available. Jet2.com and Ryanair have not announced schedule changes for Leeds Bradford — flights are expected to operate but with higher risk of gate delays.

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Part 5 — Tomorrow: France Aviation Strike — What You Must Do Tonight

The French aviation pilot and cabin crew strike starts at midnight tonight for five days — October 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21. Air France, Transavia France, and Corsair pilots and cabin crew from five unions have filed the strike notice. The Toussaint school half-term holiday, which is France’s busiest travel week of the entire autumn season, runs concurrently — making the timing maximally disruptive.

Critical update your previous articles did not have:

The French ATC (DGAC air traffic controller) strike that was originally feared to overlap with October 17–21 has been averted. Controllers reached a last-minute agreement with their employer on October 15, stepping back from the planned action. This means airspace over France should remain open — but the airline disruption from Air France’s own crew walking out is still fully active from tomorrow.

What this means for your flight tomorrow:

If you are flying Air France on October 17: your flight is at serious risk of cancellation. Air France is legally required to notify passengers proactively of cancellations as early as possible. Check airfrance.com → Manage Booking tonight. If your flight is still showing as active, set a reminder to check again at midnight.

If you are flying Transavia France on October 17: same position. transavia.com → Manage Booking.

If you are flying from Paris CDG, Paris Orly, Lyon, Marseille, or Nice on any carrier that connects through France: your carrier is likely unaffected (Air France crew are not other airlines’ crew) but secondary disruption — aircraft out of position from cancelled Air France services, delayed handovers, congested aprons — may affect operations across French airports.

UK261 and EU261 position for France strike:

Air France’s own pilot and cabin crew strike is the airline’s own workforce — this is NOT an extraordinary circumstance under EU261. If your Air France flight is cancelled and you were notified fewer than 14 days before departure (i.e. after October 3), you are potentially entitled to EU261 cash compensation of €250 (short-haul), €400 (medium-haul), or €600 (long-haul) — in addition to your full refund or rebooking right.

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Part 6 — Your Live Rights Guide: EU261, UK261, What You Are Owed

easyJet Italy crew strike — the most favourable classification for passengers:

The easyJet Italy crew strike is the airline’s own internally employed staff walking out. Under EU Court of Justice case law — specifically the 2018 Krüsemann v TUIfly ruling — a formally filed, union-organised strike against the airline by its own employees is NOT an extraordinary circumstance when the airline had adequate notice of the strike. easyJet received notice of the USB action on September 14. Today’s strike is 32 days later — well beyond the 14-day threshold.

This means: for easyJet flights departing from Italy that are cancelled today, and for easyJet flights departing from UK airports to Italy that are cancelled today, EU261 and UK261 cash compensation is potentially claimable in addition to your full refund or rebooking right.

EU261 compensation for Italy departures: €250 per passenger (all Italy–UK routes are under 1,500 km = short-haul category).

UK261 compensation for UK departures: £220 per passenger (same short-haul category for Italy routes).

The 14-day notification rule:

If easyJet notified you of the cancellation more than 14 days before today, the extraordinary circumstances extraordinary circumstances defence reduces but does not eliminate compensation. If notified fewer than 14 days before today — which is October 2 as the threshold — full compensation is claimable.

Venice security / Tuscany ground staff — third-party strikes:

Venice’s Sicuritalia IVRI security staff and Tuscany’s Toscana Aeroporti ground handlers are NOT airline employees. They work for third-party companies. Disruption caused by third-party strikes is generally classified as extraordinary circumstances, meaning airlines can avoid paying cash compensation for cancellations caused specifically by those actions. However:

Your refund right remains absolute. If your flight is cancelled for any reason — including third-party strikes — you are entitled to a full cash refund to your original payment method if you choose not to rebook.

Your rebooking right remains absolute. The airline must rebook you on the next available service to your destination at no additional cost.

Your care rights remain absolute regardless of extraordinary circumstances. If you are delayed at a Venice or Tuscany airport for 2+ hours on a short-haul flight, you are entitled to meals and refreshments. If stranded overnight, you are entitled to hotel accommodation and transport.

How to claim:

easyJet: easyjet.com → Manage Bookings → Compensation Claim. File within 6 years (England and Wales) of the flight date. Include your booking reference, the specific flight number and date, confirmation that you were notified fewer than 14 days before departure, and the outcome (cancelled, delayed, etc.).

ITA Airways: ita-airways.com → Customer Service → Claim Compensation.

Leeds Bradford / UK carriers: UK261 applies. Claim directly through your airline. If refused: Civil Aviation Authority escalation at caa.co.uk.

EU261 claim tools (free): AirHelp (airhelp.com) · Flightright (flightright.com) · Resolver UK (resolver.co.uk).

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Part 7 — Practical Guide: What To Do Right Now

If you are at a UK airport departing to Italy today:

1. Check easyjet.com, ryanair.com, or your airline’s app before leaving for the airport. Your cancellation notification should already be in your email if your flight is cancelled.
2. If cancelled: decide immediately — full refund, or rebooking. Do not accept the first rebooking offer if it is days away — ask about all available options including routing via alternative hubs.
3. If your flight is still showing as active: it may be in the protected 07:00–10:00 or 18:00–21:00 window. These flights should operate. Arrive on time and proceed as normal, but check the easyJet flight tracker one final time before leaving.

If you are at an Italian airport right now:

1. Check the ENAC guaranteed flight list immediately at enac.gov.it — this shows which specific flights are confirmed to operate today.
2. At Venice Marco Polo or Pisa: arrive early regardless of departure time — security queues are extended.
3. If your flight is between 10:01 and 17:59 today and it has not already been cancelled: treat it as high risk and have a Plan B prepared (alternative routing, car hire, train via Trenitalia to a French border city where Air France is not yet striking).

If you are planning to fly from France tomorrow:

Go to airfrance.com and transavia.com tonight. Check your flight status now. Set a reminder for midnight to check again. If your Air France flight is showing as cancelled, claim your EU261 refund or compensation immediately rather than waiting.

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Today’s Live Tools

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Key Contacts — Italy Strike October 16 + France Strike October 17

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Related Articles:

• Italy Aviation Strike October 16, 2026 Final Warning: 200 easyJet Flights Cancelled — ENAV ATC + easyJet + Venice + Tuscany — Complete EU261 + UK261 Rights Guide
• France Aviation Strike October 17–21: Air France, Transavia, Corsair — 36,000 Pilots + Cabin Crew — Toussaint School Holidays — Complete EU261 Rights Guide
• Leeds Bradford Airport Strike October 16–18, 2026: Jet2, Ryanair, Wizz Air — 130 Unite Security Workers — Malaga, Alicante Routes at Risk — UK261 Rights
• Air Corsica Pilot Strike October 9–16: 140 Pilots Walk Out — First-Ever Strike in Company History — EU261 Rights Guide
• Italy October 2026 Strike Calendar: Every Date — easyJet Oct 16, ENAV Oct 16, National General Strike Oct 30

Posted By : Vinay

As a lead contributor for Travel Tourister, Vinay is dedicated to serving our Tier 1 audience (US, UK, Canada, Australia). His mission is to deliver precise, fact-checked news and actionable, data-driven articles that empower readers to make informed decisions, minimize travel risks, and maximize their adventure without compromising safety or budget.