Italy's 29 May transport strike threatens flights at Rome and Milan airports

Disruption overview

A 24-hour general strike across Italy on Friday, 29 May 2026 is expected to disrupt flights, trains, ferries, highways, and local transport, with major pressure likely at Rome–Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Milan–Malpensa Airport (MXP). Air-traffic staff are due to stop work from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm, while rail and road services will also face staggered walkouts, making journeys across Rome, Milan, and Florence harder. Some carriers are expected to publish protected flights around 48 hours before the stoppage, but travelers should still prepare for cancellations and long delays. Because this is a wider transport strike outside an airline's control, EC 261 compensation is usually unlikely, but airlines should still provide care, rerouting, or refunds where needed.

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Disruption details

Italy is set for a 24-hour nationwide strike on Friday, 29 May 2026, and flights at Rome–Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Milan–Malpensa Airport (MXP) are among the services expected to face major disruption.

Air-traffic personnel are due to stop work for the full day, from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm. For passengers, this could mean cancellations, longer delays, and a much harder journey even if their flight still operates.

The strike goes well beyond airports. If you're traveling into, out of, or within Italy that day, these are the main stoppage windows:

• Air-traffic controllers and other operational staff are scheduled to strike from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm on 29 May.

• Rail workers plan to walk out from 9:00 pm on 28 May until 9:00 pm on 29 May.

• Ferry crews serving smaller islands are expected to stop work for the whole of 29 May.

• Motorway service-area staff are due to strike from 10:00 pm on 28 May until 10:00 pm on 29 May.

• Local public transport will run reduced services outside the guaranteed operating windows set locally.

That timing matters for air passengers because getting to and from the airport may be just as difficult as the flight itself. Cities including Rome, Milan, and Florence are expected to keep only limited urban services running, mainly around peak commuter periods, while Trenitalia and Italo plan to run skeleton rail timetables focused on essential services.

Airlines operating from major hubs are expected to publish protected flight lists around 48 hours before the strike. Even so, carriers have already been urging customers to move non-essential trips, which points to a serious risk of widespread cancellations and prolonged delays.

Authorities and transport operators are already warning of nationwide disruption, not just isolated airport problems. If you have onward connections, hotel check-ins, or same-day business travel planned, it's worth preparing for delays across several parts of the journey, not only in the air.

This action has been organized by a coalition of base unions including CUB, SGB, ADL Varese, SI-Cobas, and USI-CIT. The unions say they're protesting government war spending, precarious employment practices, and security decrees they believe restrict the right to strike.

Unlike smaller walkouts focused on one part of the sector, this one is designed to hit much of Italy's transport network at once. That means disruption could spread quickly between flights, trains, ferries, and road travel throughout the day.

Because this is a wider labor action involving air-traffic personnel and other public transport workers, it's generally outside an airline's control. That means compensation under EC 261 is unlikely for most affected passengers.

Still, airlines must help if your flight is disrupted. You should be offered rerouting or a refund if your flight is canceled, plus care such as food, refreshments, and accommodation if you're left waiting overnight.

Although compensation is unlikely here, that doesn't mean you're without support. If you want to understand your options or check whether compensation could still apply in your case, AirHelp's free flight checker is a simple place to start.

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