Business travellers heading in and out of Italy on 17 December faced a tense afternoon as air-traffic-control company ENAV, ground-handling firms, and crews from carriers including ITA Airways, Vueling and easyJet staged a coordinated four-hour walk-out from 13:00 to 17:00. The action, called by a coalition of unions, demanded quicker contract renewals, better work–life balance and the stabilisation of hundreds of fixed-term employees.
Impact on mobility
According to ENAC’s contingency list, long-haul sectors were protected but dozens of intra-EU and domestic rotations were cancelled or rescheduled. Travellers connecting to onward long-haul sectors in Rome and Milan reported minimum delays of 60–90 minutes as ground-handling manpower was reduced.
![Four-Hour National Airport Strike Disrupts Flights Across Italy]()
Amid such operational uncertainty, VisaHQ can alleviate another layer of stress by ensuring that all travellers’ passports and visas for Italy and onward destinations are in perfect order before they reach the airport. The company’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers fast visa-check tools, document-expiry monitoring and courier options, helping corporate mobility teams keep employees compliant and travel-ready even when flight schedules are in flux.
For multinational firms the stoppage coincided with year-end assignment moves and holiday travel, forcing some to activate emergency rerouting via Zurich or Munich. Travel-management companies estimate direct rebooking costs at €1.8 million and counting.
What companies should do
• Re-confirm flights for 19–22 December: unions have threatened further action if mediation fails.
• Encourage travellers to carry only cabin baggage; several airports experienced baggage-handling backlogs extending into the evening peak.
• Remind staff that under EU Regulation 261/2004 airlines must offer duty-of-care provisions, though cash compensation is not due for strikes considered “extraordinary circumstances.”
Impact on mobility
According to ENAC’s contingency list, long-haul sectors were protected but dozens of intra-EU and domestic rotations were cancelled or rescheduled. Travellers connecting to onward long-haul sectors in Rome and Milan reported minimum delays of 60–90 minutes as ground-handling manpower was reduced.
Amid such operational uncertainty, VisaHQ can alleviate another layer of stress by ensuring that all travellers’ passports and visas for Italy and onward destinations are in perfect order before they reach the airport. The company’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers fast visa-check tools, document-expiry monitoring and courier options, helping corporate mobility teams keep employees compliant and travel-ready even when flight schedules are in flux.
For multinational firms the stoppage coincided with year-end assignment moves and holiday travel, forcing some to activate emergency rerouting via Zurich or Munich. Travel-management companies estimate direct rebooking costs at €1.8 million and counting.
What companies should do
• Re-confirm flights for 19–22 December: unions have threatened further action if mediation fails.
• Encourage travellers to carry only cabin baggage; several airports experienced baggage-handling backlogs extending into the evening peak.
• Remind staff that under EU Regulation 261/2004 airlines must offer duty-of-care provisions, though cash compensation is not due for strikes considered “extraordinary circumstances.”
