Italian unions have confirmed a 24-hour nationwide aviation strike on 26 February 2026 involving airport ground staff, ITA Airways employees and—crucially for Swiss travellers—easyJet pilots and cabin crew. EasyJet operates high-frequency services linking Milan, Venice and Rome with Geneva and Basel; flights departing between 00:00 and 23:59 local time fall within the strike window.
While the operational impact is dominating headlines, travellers should also double-check that their travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s Swiss platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can help passengers and corporate travel teams verify Schengen entry rules, process urgent visa or passport renewals, and receive real-time regulatory updates—services that become invaluable when last-minute rerouting takes you across multiple borders.
![EasyJet crew strike on 26 February may disrupt Swiss leisure corridors]()
Under Italian law certain “protected slots” between 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 must operate, but easyJet has already pre-emptively cancelled several mid-day rotations. Passengers booked on Geneva–Milan Linate or Basel–Venice services have been offered free re-routing or refunds. Business-travellers with same-day meetings in northern Italy should consider rail alternatives: the Geneva–Milan Frecciarossa and Zürich–Milan EuroCity trains are unaffected.
Because the strike is classified as an extraordinary external event, EU 261 compensation is unlikely, yet employers remain responsible for duty-of-care arrangements. Travel-management companies recommend issuing automatic disruption alerts and securing last-seat-availability on Swiss or Trenitalia services where time-critical.
Swiss airports do not expect local staff walkouts, but knock-on gate-slot constraints could delay other carriers that rely on Milan airspace. Companies should monitor NOTAMs and encourage travellers to check-in online the night before to avoid airport queues.
While the operational impact is dominating headlines, travellers should also double-check that their travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s Swiss platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can help passengers and corporate travel teams verify Schengen entry rules, process urgent visa or passport renewals, and receive real-time regulatory updates—services that become invaluable when last-minute rerouting takes you across multiple borders.
Under Italian law certain “protected slots” between 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 must operate, but easyJet has already pre-emptively cancelled several mid-day rotations. Passengers booked on Geneva–Milan Linate or Basel–Venice services have been offered free re-routing or refunds. Business-travellers with same-day meetings in northern Italy should consider rail alternatives: the Geneva–Milan Frecciarossa and Zürich–Milan EuroCity trains are unaffected.
Because the strike is classified as an extraordinary external event, EU 261 compensation is unlikely, yet employers remain responsible for duty-of-care arrangements. Travel-management companies recommend issuing automatic disruption alerts and securing last-seat-availability on Swiss or Trenitalia services where time-critical.
Swiss airports do not expect local staff walkouts, but knock-on gate-slot constraints could delay other carriers that rely on Milan airspace. Companies should monitor NOTAMs and encourage travellers to check-in online the night before to avoid airport queues.
