Italy is bracing for one of the most disruptive walk-outs of the year after the CUB Trasporti, USB Lavoro Privato and other aviation unions confirmed a 24-hour strike for Thursday, 26 February 2026. The stoppage will involve pilots, cabin-crew and airport-handling staff at ITA Airways, easyJet, Vueling and several ground-service contractors. According to industry journal ITIJ, ITA Airways has already cancelled around 55 % of its schedule for the day, and contingency timetables published by Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino, Venice-Marco Polo and Verona airports indicate that more than 750 flights could be scrapped or severely delayed.(itij.com)
Under Italian law certain “protected slots” (07:00-10:00 and 18:00-21:00) must be operated, but carriers warn that knock-on disruption is likely from the evening of 25 February through the morning of 27 February as aircraft and crews reposition. Travellers booked on affected services may rebook or claim a full refund; however, cash compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 applies only if the airline can be considered responsible. Where cancellations are attributable to airport-handling strikes—normally deemed an “extraordinary circumstance”—passengers are still entitled to rerouting or a refund but not financial damages.(thesun.ie)
![Nation-wide air-transport strike on 26 February set to ground hundreds of flights across Italy]()
If your itinerary needs to be rebuilt at short notice, make sure your paperwork keeps pace: VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can secure entry visas, transit permits and other travel documents entirely online, and its real-time alerts help you stay compliant even when timetables are in flux.
Corporate travel managers are advising employees to avoid same-day connections, schedule critical meetings for later in the week, and keep hotel bookings flexible. Multinational firms with time-sensitive supply chains that rely on “bellyhold” cargo capacity at Fiumicino and Malpensa may need to switch to dedicated freighters or road haulage. Rail operator Trenitalia has announced limited extra capacity but warns that services could also be affected by separate four-hour regional rail stoppages on 27 February.(striketracker.app)
The action underscores ongoing labour tensions in Italy’s transport sector, where inflation-linked wage demands and the cost of integrating new safety regulations have fuelled industrial unrest. Businesses with mobile workforces should review duty-of-care protocols, ensure travellers receive real-time alerts, and remind staff that they retain the right to meals, accommodation and alternative transport while stranded. Employers that rely on Posted Workers notifications for tight project deadlines should factor in at least 24-48 hours of buffer time next week.
Under Italian law certain “protected slots” (07:00-10:00 and 18:00-21:00) must be operated, but carriers warn that knock-on disruption is likely from the evening of 25 February through the morning of 27 February as aircraft and crews reposition. Travellers booked on affected services may rebook or claim a full refund; however, cash compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 applies only if the airline can be considered responsible. Where cancellations are attributable to airport-handling strikes—normally deemed an “extraordinary circumstance”—passengers are still entitled to rerouting or a refund but not financial damages.(thesun.ie)
If your itinerary needs to be rebuilt at short notice, make sure your paperwork keeps pace: VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can secure entry visas, transit permits and other travel documents entirely online, and its real-time alerts help you stay compliant even when timetables are in flux.
Corporate travel managers are advising employees to avoid same-day connections, schedule critical meetings for later in the week, and keep hotel bookings flexible. Multinational firms with time-sensitive supply chains that rely on “bellyhold” cargo capacity at Fiumicino and Malpensa may need to switch to dedicated freighters or road haulage. Rail operator Trenitalia has announced limited extra capacity but warns that services could also be affected by separate four-hour regional rail stoppages on 27 February.(striketracker.app)
The action underscores ongoing labour tensions in Italy’s transport sector, where inflation-linked wage demands and the cost of integrating new safety regulations have fuelled industrial unrest. Businesses with mobile workforces should review duty-of-care protocols, ensure travellers receive real-time alerts, and remind staff that they retain the right to meals, accommodation and alternative transport while stranded. Employers that rely on Posted Workers notifications for tight project deadlines should factor in at least 24-48 hours of buffer time next week.
