EasyJet Strike Italy: 200+ Flights Cancelled as 24-Hour Walkout Grounds Planes Today
If you’re flying to or from Italy today, check your phone before you check your boarding pass. A 24-hour nationwide strike by easyJet crew has thrown Friday’s travel plans across Italy into chaos — and the disruption stretches from Rome’s Fiumicino airport to Venice, Pisa, Florence and beyond.
Roughly 200 UK easyJet flights to Rome and Milan are already cancelled, according to UK press reports, and with France’s own aviation strike starting tomorrow, this is shaping up to be one of the most disruptive weekends for European air travel in months. So — is your flight one of the doomed ones? Here’s everything we know.
What’s Happening in Italy Today
The walkout runs from midnight to midnight local time on Friday, October 16. It covers pilots and cabin crew employed by easyJet Airlines Limited across Italy, called by the USB Lavoro Privato union — and it was filed in the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s official strike register more than a month ago, on September 14. Strike Tracker, which logs filed transport actions in Italy, notes the stoppage covers easyJet’s Italian bases and can lead to cancellations and delays on domestic and international flights to and from Italy throughout the day.
But the easyJet crew aren’t the only ones downing tools. Security staff at Venice Marco Polo airport are on a 24-hour walkout. Ground staff at Pisa’s Galileo Galilei and Florence’s Peretola airports are striking too. ENAV air traffic controllers staged a four-hour nationwide stoppage from 1pm to 5pm. Even Poste Air Cargo employees joined in.
And Britain has its own front in the chaos: Leeds Bradford Airport — a key base for easyJet’s Italy routes — is on day two of a three-day security worker strike running October 16 to 18, meaning long screening queues before you even get to the gate.
Why Are easyJet Staff Striking?
Like so many Italian transport strikes, this one comes down to a contract fight. A contract renewal was signed on September 15 — but the USB union says the vote results were published late and its request to observe the count was refused. In Italy’s highly unionised aviation sector, that’s enough to trigger a full national stoppage.
It’s worth noting the date itself moved: the strike was first announced for October 15, then withdrawn and re-filed for October 16. That’s why some passengers who rebooked to dodge Thursday may now find the disruption followed them to Friday.
Which Flights Are Cancelled — and Which Are Safe?
Here’s the crucial thing most travelers miss: not every easyJet flight is cancelled. Italian aviation law protects two daily time windows — 7am to 10am and 6pm to 9pm local time — during which flights must operate. If your departure is scheduled inside those windows, you have strong reason to expect it to fly.
Beyond that, Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC has specifically listed five easyJet services that must be protected under minimum-service rules: four connecting mainland Italy with island destinations, and one international service — EJU3897 from Milan Malpensa to Sharm El Sheikh. AeroHaber reports ENAC also covers all scheduled departures during the protected windows, all international flights arriving in Italy, and certain essential connections.
The confirmed casualty count so far: around 200 UK easyJet flights to Rome and Milan cancelled, plus 13 ITA Airways flights between London and Italian destinations. Airports hit hardest include Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Rome Fiumicino, Naples, Bologna, Catania, Palermo and Bari.
Tomorrow It Gets Worse: France’s Five-Day Strike
If Italy is today’s story, France is tomorrow’s. A five-day aviation strike by pilots and cabin crew at Air France, Transavia France and Corsair begins Saturday, October 17 — pulling tens of thousands of crew out over the weekend and into next week. The extent of the disruption will depend on participation, but domestic and international services are both at risk.
France’s infrastructure has already been under strain this week — a massive cyberattack knocked out freezers at 700 supermarkets across the country. Now its skies are joining the list of things not working as they should.
It has been a rough fortnight for flyers generally. Earlier this month, Air India’s AI2030 flight was diverted to Jaipur after a false hijack alarm. And if you’re flying through Leeds Bradford at the UK end of an Italy route, factor in that airport’s own security strike when you plan your journey to the gate.
Your Rights: Can You Claim Compensation?
This is the part where it pays to know the rules — because not all strike cancellations are equal under EU261.
easyJet’s own crew strike: Passenger rights groups including AirHelp confirm that compensation under EU261 may apply when the disruption is caused by the airline’s own staff. An airline’s own-employee strike is generally not treated as “extraordinary circumstances” — which means cash compensation of up to €250 for short-haul flights is potentially claimable. For easyJet departures from UK airports, UK261 offers up to £220.
Venice security / Pisa-Florence ground staff / ATC stoppages: These are third-party strikes, which count as extraordinary circumstances — cash compensation isn’t payable. But your core rights still stand: a full refund or rebooking, plus care (meals, hotels, transport) while you wait.
The golden rule: whatever the cause, you are entitled to a full refund or rebooking if your flight is cancelled. Nobody can keep your money for a flight that didn’t fly.
What To Do If You’re Flying Today
First: check your flight status directly with easyJet before leaving for the airport. The airline typically publishes its cancellation list a few days before a planned strike — your flight may already have an official verdict.
Second: if your departure falls between 7am–10am or 6pm–9pm Italian time, you’re in the protected window and have the best odds of flying. If it falls outside, have a Plan B ready.
Third: screenshot everything. If you’re stranded, keep receipts for food, accommodation and alternative transport — those costs are part of your care entitlements under EU261, and you’ll want proof.
Fourth: don’t accept a voucher when you want a refund. Airlines often push vouchers first; the law says the choice is yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my easyJet flight to Italy cancelled today?
Not necessarily. Around 200 UK easyJet flights to Rome and Milan are confirmed cancelled, but flights inside the protected windows (7am–10am and 6pm–9pm Italian time) are expected to operate. Check your flight’s status with easyJet directly before traveling.
Are any flights guaranteed during the Italy strike?
Yes. ENAC’s minimum-service rules guarantee all scheduled departures during the two protected windows, international flights arriving in Italy, essential island connections, and five specifically named easyJet services including EJU3897 from Milan Malpensa to Sharm El Sheikh.
Can I claim compensation for a cancelled easyJet flight?
If the cancellation is due to easyJet’s own crew strike, compensation under EU261 (up to €250 short-haul, or £220 under UK261 for UK departures) may apply, since an airline’s own-employee strike is not classed as extraordinary circumstances. You’ll always get a refund or rebooking regardless.
Is the France strike connected to the Italy strike?
No — they are separate industrial disputes called by different unions in different countries. The timing is coincidence, but the back-to-back schedule means Europe faces aviation disruption from October 16 through at least October 21.
The Bottom Line
Today is one of the worst days in months to be flying in Italy — but it isn’t a total shutdown, and the law is firmly on the passenger’s side. Flights in the protected morning and evening windows should operate, your money is safe if yours is cancelled, and you may be owed compensation on top if easyJet’s own crew caused the cancellation.
Tomorrow, France takes the baton. If you have weekend plans crossing either country, check your bookings tonight — because Europe’s autumn of strikes is only just getting started.