Friday 26 September 2025 It looks like it's going to be a difficult day for anyone flying to Italy. A new strike in the sector plane will involve Volotea, Wizz Air, airport handling staff and related industries, with mobilizations in numerous ports from North to South. Delays, cancellations e hardships are therefore possible, even if the guarantee bands expected by ENAC will ensure the functioning of essential connections.
This is another day of unrest following the general demonstrations in September, this time focused on the aviation sector, which remained outside the previous protests over Gaza.
Airline strike on Friday, September 26: who's affected and when
Le unrest they are not unique, but composed of several union strikes:
- Volotea: Flight and shore personnel, 24 hours, called by Uiltrasporti, with pickets planned in Naples and Palermo. The protest concerns the lack of recognition of rights, low wages, and the lack of basic social guarantees.
- Wizz Air MaltaFlight crew and ground staff will be closed 24 hours a day, according to Filt Cgil, with possible disruptions to domestic and international flights.
- Cub Transport: aviation, airport and related sector personnel, 24 hours a day (00:00-23:59).
- Autistic Sea a Milan Linate e Malpensa, 24 hours (Cub Transport).
- Dussmann Service Malpensa (cleaning), 24 hours (Adl Varese).
- Sogaersecurity Cagliari, 24 hours (Ugl-Ta).
- Handling Assohandlers: 4 hours (10:00-14:00, Flai Transport and Services).
- Airport Handling Milan Linate e Malpensa: 4 hours (10:00-14:00, Filt-Cgil/Fit-Cisl/Uilt-Uil/Ugl-Ta/Cub/Usb/Flai).
- Alha e MLE Malpensa: 4 hours (10:00-14:00, Cub Transport).
Strike on Friday, September 26: airports involved
Le mobilizations will affect all the main airports Italians, including Milan Linate e Malpensa, Roma Fiumicino e Ciampino, Bologna, Bergamo, Catania, Cagliari, Palermo, Turin, Verona, Reggio Calabria, Salerno, Lamezia Terme, Crotone, Cuneo, Pantelleria and the ports of the Toscana. Also Venice, Varese and other regional airports will suffer disruptions related to ground staff and related industries.
Flights guaranteed during the September 26 strike
Secondo ENAC, flights will be guaranteed in protection time slots from 7:00 to 10:00 e by 18: 00 21 to: 00, connections to the islands with a single daily frequency, already scheduled intercontinental flights, as well as military, government, emergency, medical, and humanitarian flights. Charter flights already authorized or notified before the strike announcement will also be operational.
Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizz Air, and Volotea will contact customers directly via SMS or email in case of cancellations or changes, while ITA Airways allows rebooking without penalty or refund if the flight is canceled or delayed by more than 5 hours.
Airline strike on Friday, September 26: several reasons
Volotea's protests are linked to the failure to recognize workers' rights, inadequate contractual conditions, and low wages. Grassroots unions such as USB Lavoro Privato are denouncing difficult working conditions at strategic airports such as Malpensa and Montichiari, where employees are involved in the transportation and sorting of military equipment, despite being civilian airports. Their demands also include improved working conditions and increased wages.
More strikes on September 26
In addition to the airline sector, the pharmacists in Sardinia for the entire work shift, the Fire fighters of the province of Cuneo from 8:00 to 12:00 and Treviso public transport employees (Mom) for 24 hours, in compliance with the warranty bands.
