Strike-tracker data released on 27 January shows that flight crews at AVINCIS RW—Italy’s largest emergency-services helicopter operator—will stage a national walkout on Thursday, 29 January. Day-time bases will stop flying from 08:00 to 16:00, while 24-hour search-and-rescue bases will extend the stoppage to 20:00. The unions FIT-CISL, UILT-UIL, UGL-Trasporto Aereo and ANPAC called the strike over stalled contract talks and roster-fatigue rules. (striketracker.app)
AVINCIS runs air-ambulance and offshore transport services across 14 Italian regions, including Sicily, Sardinia and alpine provinces where helicopters are often the only link to remote worksites and ski resorts. Energy, construction and mining companies routinely charter AVINCIS crews to move engineers and equipment. The 29 January stoppage therefore poses a significant risk to time-critical personnel rotations and medical-evacuation coverage.
Under Italian law, “essential services” strikes must guarantee a skeleton service, but aviation dispute protocols are less stringent for private-sector helicopter firms than for scheduled airlines. Regional health authorities are already activating contingency contracts with rival operator Babcock Italia, while some corporates are arranging standby ground transport.
![Nationwide Helicopter-Crew Strike Set for 29 January Could Disrupt Remote-Site Business Travel]()
For companies that still need to deploy staff during the disruption, ensuring travel documentation is in order is equally critical. VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers fast visa checks, step-by-step application support and dedicated corporate dashboards, helping employers move engineers, medics and technicians into Italy on short notice—especially valuable when operations shift unexpectedly due to strikes or weather.
Global-mobility managers should map employees located at remote Italian facilities and verify whether project insurance requires dedicated MEDEVAC capacity. Where feasible, consider shifting site visits earlier in the week or postponing until after 20:00 on 29 January, when full operations are due to resume.
Although classed as a one-day action, union sources warn of further rolling strikes if talks fail. The dispute highlights a wider shortage of licensed helicopter pilots in Italy as demand for rapid-response services grows ahead of the 2026 Olympics and the Jubilee Year in Rome.
AVINCIS runs air-ambulance and offshore transport services across 14 Italian regions, including Sicily, Sardinia and alpine provinces where helicopters are often the only link to remote worksites and ski resorts. Energy, construction and mining companies routinely charter AVINCIS crews to move engineers and equipment. The 29 January stoppage therefore poses a significant risk to time-critical personnel rotations and medical-evacuation coverage.
Under Italian law, “essential services” strikes must guarantee a skeleton service, but aviation dispute protocols are less stringent for private-sector helicopter firms than for scheduled airlines. Regional health authorities are already activating contingency contracts with rival operator Babcock Italia, while some corporates are arranging standby ground transport.
For companies that still need to deploy staff during the disruption, ensuring travel documentation is in order is equally critical. VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers fast visa checks, step-by-step application support and dedicated corporate dashboards, helping employers move engineers, medics and technicians into Italy on short notice—especially valuable when operations shift unexpectedly due to strikes or weather.
Global-mobility managers should map employees located at remote Italian facilities and verify whether project insurance requires dedicated MEDEVAC capacity. Where feasible, consider shifting site visits earlier in the week or postponing until after 20:00 on 29 January, when full operations are due to resume.
Although classed as a one-day action, union sources warn of further rolling strikes if talks fail. The dispute highlights a wider shortage of licensed helicopter pilots in Italy as demand for rapid-response services grows ahead of the 2026 Olympics and the Jubilee Year in Rome.
