The Italian aviation sector is enduring yet another major travel disruption as a nationwide general strike is set up this Saturday that will affect air, rail and road travel. This marks the third significant strike that will affect Italy's airspace this year, following previous strikes in January and February.
Previous strikes have led to widespread cancellations and delays, and this strike is expected to see the same thing. They are supported by the Slai-Cobas, Cub and USI-Cit Trade unions. Fortunately, experts from Airadvisor, a leading air passenger rights company, have analyzed the full impact of these strikes for UK tourists who may feel their holidays are affected.
Airadvisor estimates that around 50-70 direct flights from the UK to Italy will be affected, affecting between 8,000 and 11,200 passengers.
Passengers on British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair have been primarily affected, with airlines having more than 15 direct flights on March 8th to major Italian airports such as Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples and Florence.
The main routes affected include London Rome, London-Milan, Manchester Rome, and Edinburgh-Milan.
Importantly, AirAdvisor has made it clear that passengers will not receive compensation as this strike measures are outside the airline's control.
Under EU261 regulations, compensation is only paid if the airline is directly liable for the disruption. However, if the delay exceeds 2 hours on short-distance flights, 3 hours on medium-distance, and 4 hours on long-distance flights, passengers still have the right to care and support. Perks include free meals and accommodation (if you require an overnight stay), and round-trip transportation to and from the airport.
Unfortunately, another strike action is scheduled for future travelers to Italy on March 16 (the fourth of this year), with passengers expected to see an increase in flight disruption from March 8 to March 20.
Since 2023, over 15 strike actions have affected Italian airspace, leading to more than 2,000 cancellations and impacted around 350,000 passengers.
Anton Radchenko, Airadvisor's aviation expert and founder, has valuable insights in response to these strikes.
He said: The EU has one of the most powerful laws protecting the rights of passengers in the Air Force, but it is often confused for passengers. The fact that they have to apply for a refund, seek assistance, and book an alternative flight sucks joy from the trip over and over.
“With another strike action taking place on March 16th, passengers flying to Italy will try to make the most of next week, from March 9th to 15th. This means more seats will be reserved, leading to more busy or higher traffic than usual. Furthermore, the ripple effects from the strike on March 8th will make things worse and lead to more confusion.
“My main advice to passengers is to plan flexible travel plans and plan ahead to minimize inconveniences. Additionally, even if you are not landing in Italy, don't connect via flights via Italy.
“Ideally, flights will likely reduce disruption after March 20th, when the situation is controlled. If postponement is not an option, you can fly to nearby airports outside Italy, such as Nice, France, France, ZRH, Switzerland, etc., and board the train to Italy.
“Lastly, airlines have overwhelming numbers of requests at peak times, so they are acting fast, so they are struggling to rebook. We bypass this by contacting the airline via social media, where it is more sensitive to encourage rebooking.”
