What to expect from Italy's airport staff strike on Friday
Airline passengers in Italy may face disruption on Friday, November 24th, as a nationwide baggage handling staff walkout has already caused ITA Airways to cancel 42 flights.
Passengers flying to or from Italy could once again face delays and cancellations on Friday as handling staff at national airports plan to take part in a 24-hour strike.
The walkout is expected to cause at least some disruption at all of Italy's major airports, as four of Italy's largest transport workers' unions are involved (Flai, Usb, Ost Usb and Cub).
Passengers may experiencing delays at check-in desks and baggage collection, as well as flight delays and/or cancellations.
Italy’s flagship airline, ITA Airways, on Wednesday said it had cancelled 42 domestic flights, 36 of which had been scheduled to depart on Friday.
ITA advised all passengers with flights scheduled for Friday to check the status of their journey on ITA’s website before setting off or at the airline’s information points, which can be found here.
Security staff at Rome's Fiumicino Airport were also set to strike for four hours (from 10am to 2pm) on Friday.
It’s currently unclear whether this demonstration will affect passengers at all, though delays in the airport’s security checks cannot be ruled out.
Passengers queue in the check-in area of Rome's Fiumicino airport during an air travel strike in November 2008. Photo by TIZIANA FABI / AFP
Guaranteed flights
Under Italian law, flights scheduled to depart between 7am and 10am, and between 6pm and 9pm are protected from strike action and should go ahead as usual on Friday.
Intercontinental flights, including those with layovers at Italian airports, and a number of essential flights between Italy’s mainland and the two major islands, Sicily and Sardinia, should also run as normal.
Italy’s civil aviation authority Enac has published a list of flights guaranteed to go ahead on Friday on its website.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
If you're flying to, from or within the EU you have the right to either a refund or rebooking, and the airline must always offer you the choice.
If you're booked onto a later flight and have to wait for more than two hours, you're entitled to assistance such as food and drink. And in the case of cancellations at short notice you may also be able to claim compensation.
Find full details here.
Keep up with the latest updates in The Local's strike news section.
Comments
See Also
Passengers flying to or from Italy could once again face delays and cancellations on Friday as handling staff at national airports plan to take part in a 24-hour strike.
The walkout is expected to cause at least some disruption at all of Italy's major airports, as four of Italy's largest transport workers' unions are involved (Flai, Usb, Ost Usb and Cub).
Passengers may experiencing delays at check-in desks and baggage collection, as well as flight delays and/or cancellations.
Italy’s flagship airline, ITA Airways, on Wednesday said it had cancelled 42 domestic flights, 36 of which had been scheduled to depart on Friday.
ITA advised all passengers with flights scheduled for Friday to check the status of their journey on ITA’s website before setting off or at the airline’s information points, which can be found here.
Security staff at Rome's Fiumicino Airport were also set to strike for four hours (from 10am to 2pm) on Friday.
It’s currently unclear whether this demonstration will affect passengers at all, though delays in the airport’s security checks cannot be ruled out.
Guaranteed flights
Under Italian law, flights scheduled to depart between 7am and 10am, and between 6pm and 9pm are protected from strike action and should go ahead as usual on Friday.
Intercontinental flights, including those with layovers at Italian airports, and a number of essential flights between Italy’s mainland and the two major islands, Sicily and Sardinia, should also run as normal.
Italy’s civil aviation authority Enac has published a list of flights guaranteed to go ahead on Friday on its website.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
If you're flying to, from or within the EU you have the right to either a refund or rebooking, and the airline must always offer you the choice.
If you're booked onto a later flight and have to wait for more than two hours, you're entitled to assistance such as food and drink. And in the case of cancellations at short notice you may also be able to claim compensation.
Find full details here.
Keep up with the latest updates in The Local's strike news section.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.