Today, Monday 11 May 2026, those who have a flight in Italy would do well to check the status of their ticket before leaving home. There is an ongoing national air transport strike involving different unions, with durations and times that vary from protest to protest: ranging from 4 to 8 hours of downtime, with the greatest discomfort concentrated in the central part of the day.
The heaviest blow comes from the Enav flight controllers of Rome’s ACC and Naples airport, who fold their arms for 8 hours – from 10:00 to 18:00 – due to a strike called by UILT-UIL. EasyJet pilots and flight attendants also stop in the same time window, with participation proclaimed by FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL, UILT-UIL, UGL-TA and ANPAC.
Shorter, but equally relevant protests concern the ADR Security staff at Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports (4 hours, from 12:00 to 16:00, for those who join Fast-Confsal), the handling staff in Palermo – GH Palermo, ASC Handling, Aviapartner – at the same time, and the workers of the Sogaer group in Cagliari and of Alha and Mle-Bcube in Milan Malpensa, both stopped from 1pm to 5pm.
The guarantee bands
By law, during strikes in air transport there are protective time slots in which flights must still be carried out, ranging from 7:00 to 10:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00. Those who fly in those windows can count on regulatory protection, however, those scheduled in the 10-18 time slot are exposed to the risk of cancellation.
ITA Airways: 38% of flights cancelled
ITA Airways has already announced that it is forced to cancel approximately 38% of its flights for the day. Passengers with reservations for today can check the status of their flight on the ita-airways.com website, in the “Flight Status” section, or by calling +39 06 85960020. In the event of cancellation or change to the timetable with an early departure of more than 60 minutes or a delay of more than 5 hours, it is possible to request a refund of the ticket by May 18th, without penalties.
Flights guaranteed according to ENAC
The National Civil Aviation Authority has published on its website the official list of essential flights for 11 May 2026, drawn up on the basis of the programs presented by the airlines and the criteria set by Resolution 14/387 of the Strike Guarantee Commission.
Domestic flights:
Guaranteed international flights:
Middle East
North America
Sub Area Japan and Korea
Sub Asian Sub Continent
Sub Area South East Asia
South America
Africa
The complete list with all flight numbers is available in PDF on the ENAC website.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
The EU Regulation on air passenger rights provides that in the event of a strike the company must offer re-routing on an alternative flight. If the company does not provide, the passenger can bear the costs independently and request reimbursement. On the financial compensation front, European jurisprudence has clarified that the strike of internal company staff – unlike that of air traffic controllers, which is considered an exceptional circumstance – does not exempt the carrier from the financial compensation provided for by the regulation.
