Italy’s civil-aviation regulator ENAC on 7 May issued its mandatory list of “voli garantiti” (protected flights) for the eight-hour national strike that will hit the air-transport sector on Monday, 11 May. Under Italian law, certain services—such as early-morning and late-evening connections, flights linking the mainland with Sardinia, Sicily and smaller islands, and critical international routes—must operate even during industrial action.
![ENAC Publishes Guaranteed Flight List Ahead of 11 May National Air-Transport Strike]()
For travellers who may also need to review or amend their travel documents in light of possible rescheduling, VisaHQ can help. The agency’s Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) lets you confirm visa requirements, submit applications online and receive status alerts—services that can prove invaluable if the strike forces you to rebook at short notice.
The bulletin, posted on ENAC’s website, confirms that flights scheduled to depart between 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 local time will proceed, as will a selection of long-haul services and medical or emergency rotations. Airlines have been instructed to update their timetables and notify passengers whose flights fall outside the protected window. Travellers booked on non-protected flights can rebook or request refunds under EU Regulation 261/2004. The strike involves multiple unions representing air-traffic controllers, ground handlers, security staff and airline crews, and coincides with separate walkouts by EasyJet personnel and stoppages at Rome and Naples control centres. Transport ministry data suggest up to 1,200 flights could be cancelled nationwide if no settlement is reached. Business-travel managers are advising corporate travellers to avoid same-day connections through Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate and Naples Capodichino, or to re-route via rail where possible. Multinationals with time-sensitive cargo are switching shipments from belly-hold capacity to dedicated freighters operating out of Milan Malpensa, which is less affected. ENAC stresses that its list may still be amended; passengers are urged to check airline websites and the ENAC portal up to the day of travel.
For travellers who may also need to review or amend their travel documents in light of possible rescheduling, VisaHQ can help. The agency’s Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) lets you confirm visa requirements, submit applications online and receive status alerts—services that can prove invaluable if the strike forces you to rebook at short notice.
The bulletin, posted on ENAC’s website, confirms that flights scheduled to depart between 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00 local time will proceed, as will a selection of long-haul services and medical or emergency rotations. Airlines have been instructed to update their timetables and notify passengers whose flights fall outside the protected window. Travellers booked on non-protected flights can rebook or request refunds under EU Regulation 261/2004. The strike involves multiple unions representing air-traffic controllers, ground handlers, security staff and airline crews, and coincides with separate walkouts by EasyJet personnel and stoppages at Rome and Naples control centres. Transport ministry data suggest up to 1,200 flights could be cancelled nationwide if no settlement is reached. Business-travel managers are advising corporate travellers to avoid same-day connections through Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate and Naples Capodichino, or to re-route via rail where possible. Multinationals with time-sensitive cargo are switching shipments from belly-hold capacity to dedicated freighters operating out of Milan Malpensa, which is less affected. ENAC stresses that its list may still be amended; passengers are urged to check airline websites and the ENAC portal up to the day of travel.
