Italy flights: what airport strikes mean for UK travel - latest from EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and ITA Airways

Holidaymakers who are set to jet off to Italy have been warned of potential cancellations due to strike action at the country’s airports.

Set to take place on Friday (19 May), the industrial action means carriers - including Jet2, EasyJet and Ryanair - are warning passengers may face disruption. While the strike takes place on Friday, it could impact flights on Thursday (18 May) and over the weekend.

It comes as people across Europe will be hoping to avoid the travel chaos seen last summer, when strikes hit airlines, airports and other forms of travel on the continent. Here in the UK, travellers are having to navigate rail strikes and a walkout at the Passport Office.

Italy last saw severe disruption at its airports in October 2022, with other strike action hitting its air travel for several days over the summer. Some of the new strike action has been postponed due to the catastrophic flooding seen in the country in recent days.

So, what do we know about Friday’s strikes in Italy - and what can you do if you’re affected? Here’s what you need to know.

Which flights could be cancelled?

The strike action in Italy is due to take place for 24 hours on Friday (19 May). It will affect most of the nation and is being led by ground handling services workers.

It has been announced by Bologna Airport that the unions which have organised the strikes have agreed to suspend their industrial action in the Emilia-Romagna region due to the severe flooding that’s been seen there. The local government in the region is advising against all but vital travel.

With the strike action that is still going ahead, the carriers most likely to be affected are:

• EasyJet
• Ryanair
• Jet2
• ITA Airways

The dispute revolves around what Italian aviation union Cub Trasporti has described as a six-year pay freeze. It claims airports are cutting their salaries to offer more competitive ground handling rates to airlines.

ITA Airways - which runs services to and from Heathrow and London City airports - has already cancelled 112 domestic flights and one international flight (to Stuttgart, Germany). It has not made any UK-specific warnings.

EasyJet has also warned of disruption. In a statement on its website, where its latest travel advice can be found, the carrier said: “We have been advised of national strike action in Italy on 19 of May affecting critical airport ground handling services. We expect that there may be delays and some disruption due to the industrial action, therefore we advise all customers to check the status of their flight on our Flight Tracker.

“Although this situation is outside of our control, we would like to apologise to any affected passengers for the inconvenience caused. We are making every effort to get customers to their destination. Any customers whose flight is cancelled due to the strike will be contacted via the email and SMS using the contact details provided at the time of booking and check in.”

Ryanair has urged customers to check its website or the Ryanair App. It said: “Due to the Italian handling strike on Friday, 19 May 2023, passengers flying to/from Italy may face cancellations. Affected customers will be notified via Email, SMS and PUSH notification and advised of their options as soon as possible.

“We sincerely apologise to our customer for any inconvenience caused as a result of this Italian handling strike which is entirely beyond our control.”

Meanwhile, Jet2 said in a statement that all of its flights are expected to operate as normal. It said: “In the event of any flight delays further information can be found [on the Jet2 website] by entering your flight number or route.

“As a reminder check in desks will close 40 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Rest assured, in the event of flight disruption our dedicated operations teams are always working hard behind the scenes at our UK-based HQ to get you on your way as soon as possible.”

What can you do if your flight is cancelled?

EasyJet advises that if your flight gets cancelled, you should not go to the airport. Instead, it says customers should change their flight or ask for a refund by logging into its website. The process is free of charge.

The other carriers which could be hit by the strike action have not provided any cancellation details. It is worth making sure they have your most up-to-date contact information, as it is likely they will try to get in touch with you if your flight is likely to be cancelled.

If your flight is delayed by strike action, you are entitled to help from your airline if it is an EU or UK-based carrier. If the industrial action is carried out by the carrier’s own staff, you are entitled to compensation - although the point at which they are obliged to compensate you depends on the length of your journey.

Say you are flying to anywhere north of Rome (i.e. a journey of less than 1,500km), a delay of two hours or more requires compensation. If you are flying further south, the delay has to be three hours or more.

Compensation includes: food and drink, access to phone calls and emails, or accommodation if you’re delayed overnight (plus transfers between the airport and the hotel). It will be dispensed directly by the airline at the airport, usually in the form of vouchers.

If they do not provide assistance, you should keep hold of any receipts so you can claim back for all reasonable expenses (e.g. food and drink). If the delay meets the thresholds set out above, the airlines are legally required to help you.

Should you arrive at your destination more than three hours late because of an issue that is the airline’s fault (e.g. strike action among its own staff), you can get £220 compensation for flights travelling up to 1,500km (north and central Italy) or £350 for those going more than 1,500km (southern Italy and Sicily).

Strikes by airport staff, like air traffic controllers, are considered to be out of an airline’s control and they are therefore not obliged to give you your money back. But if the strike action ends and there are still delays (e.g. the following day), the airline has to cough up.

If your flight is cancelled outright, it was as a result of strike action by the airline’s own staff, you were not given more than two weeks’ warning, and it delayed your arrival at your destination by two or more hours, you are legally entitled - under the Denied Boarding Regulations - to either:

• a full refund - including other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking, such as return flights 
• a replacement flight to get you to your destination (the airline must book you on a route that’s as close to your original journey timings as possible) 
• if you’re part-way through a journey and you don’t want a replacement flight, you also have a right to a flight back to the airport you flew out of.

For refunds or replacement flights, it’s best to ask for them at the airport - if you can. You also have a legal right to:

• help with costs - if the cancellation delays you by two-plus hours
• compensation - if you’d be delayed two or more hours by the replacement flight offered and you were given under two weeks’ notice by the airline

Further advice can be found on the Citizens Advice website.