The Italian unions FILT-CGIL, UIL-Trasporti and UGL have confirmed a 24-hour strike for 26 February covering ITA Airways, easyJet, Vueling and airport ground staff, followed by rail walkouts on 27 and 28 February. The action is a spill-over from disputes over rostering and the upcoming liberalisation of ground-handling licences.
Why Austria cares Italy ranks as the number-one outbound leisure destination for Austrians during the semester break; Vienna-Rome and Vienna-Milan alone carry 7,000 passengers daily in peak weeks. Austrian Airlines is not directly involved, but its codeshare partners will be affected and slot knock-on could ripple across Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck airports. Railjet services from Villach to Venice may also see capacity cuts once Italian crews clock off.
![Italian transport strikes on 26–28 February threaten Austrian holiday traffic]()
For travellers who need to verify visa requirements or arrange last-minute travel documents as they shuffle itineraries, VisaHQ offers a fast online solution. The company’s Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) lists up-to-date entry rules for Italy and other destinations and can secure electronic visas or couriered paperwork—useful when strikes force unexpected detours.
Advice for mobility teams
• Re-check flight status 48 hours before departure and hold refundable rail tickets as back-up.
• Employees travelling on critical business should avoid tight same-day connections through Italian hubs from 25 to 29 February.
• Consider routing via Ljubljana or Munich where possible.
Longer-term outlook Italian lawmakers are debating stricter minimum-service guarantees; if adopted, future strikes may spare at least 50 % of flights. For now, Austrian employers should factor in higher disruption risk on the Italy corridor through the summer season.
Why Austria cares Italy ranks as the number-one outbound leisure destination for Austrians during the semester break; Vienna-Rome and Vienna-Milan alone carry 7,000 passengers daily in peak weeks. Austrian Airlines is not directly involved, but its codeshare partners will be affected and slot knock-on could ripple across Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck airports. Railjet services from Villach to Venice may also see capacity cuts once Italian crews clock off.
For travellers who need to verify visa requirements or arrange last-minute travel documents as they shuffle itineraries, VisaHQ offers a fast online solution. The company’s Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) lists up-to-date entry rules for Italy and other destinations and can secure electronic visas or couriered paperwork—useful when strikes force unexpected detours.
Advice for mobility teams
• Re-check flight status 48 hours before departure and hold refundable rail tickets as back-up.
• Employees travelling on critical business should avoid tight same-day connections through Italian hubs from 25 to 29 February.
• Consider routing via Ljubljana or Munich where possible.
Longer-term outlook Italian lawmakers are debating stricter minimum-service guarantees; if adopted, future strikes may spare at least 50 % of flights. For now, Austrian employers should factor in higher disruption risk on the Italy corridor through the summer season.
