easyJet strike in Italy, 16 October 2026: cancelled flights, refunds and compensation

The USB Lavoro Privato union has called a 24-hour national strike of easyJet flight crew from 00:00 to 23:59 on Friday 16 October 2026. The union wants recognition and a seat at the contract negotiations; it is the same dispute behind the strikes of 14 November 2025, 26 February 2026 and July 2026, when according to USB more than 50 flights were cancelled.

A 24-hour strike by staff at Toscana Aeroporti, GH Toscana and Consulta at Pisa and Florence airports, first called for the same day, has moved to 30 October 2026.

ENAC has published its notice for the 16 October strike: all departures scheduled between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00 must operate, charters included, as must charters to and from the islands authorised before the strike was called. Flights outside those windows may be cancelled. easyJet usually tells passengers by email and text message: check your booking in the app and keep the cancellation message, because the date you received it matters for compensation.

Whatever the cause, easyJet must offer you the choice between a full refund within 7 days and another flight to your destination at the earliest opportunity, or at a later date of your choice. While you wait it must also provide meals and refreshments, a hotel and transport to it if you have to stay overnight, and two phone calls or emails.

If you were told of the cancellation less than 14 days before departure, you are also owed fixed compensation, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances:

• €250 for a flight up to 1,500 km, such as Milan Malpensa to Paris Charles de Gaulle (about 600 km);
• €400 for a flight of 1,500 to 3,500 km, such as Naples to London Gatwick (about 1,590 km);
• €600 over 3,500 km.

If you reach your destination 3 hours or more late, the same amounts apply (Court of Justice of the European Union, Sturgeon, C-402/07, 2009). What counts is when the aircraft doors open on arrival, not when it took off (Germanwings, C-452/13, 2014).

The pilots' and cabin crew strike is a strike by easyJet's own staff, which the Court of Justice of the European Union does not treat as an extraordinary circumstance (Airhelp v SAS, C-28/20, 2021): the cancellations and delays of 3 hours or more it causes therefore generally give a right to compensation.

A strike by airport staff would be a third-party strike, which generally rules out compensation: the Pisa and Florence one has moved to 30 October, so it does not affect flights on 16 October. If your easyJet flight is cancelled on 16 October, ask easyJet in writing for the reason anyway: it is for the airline to prove an extraordinary circumstance.

Every easyJet flight departing from Italy is covered by EU261, whichever easyJet company operates it. A flight into Italy from the UK operated by easyJet UK, a British airline, is not: UK rules apply instead.

• Keep your booking confirmation and boarding pass.
• Save the cancellation or delay message, with its date and time.
• Keep receipts for meals, hotels and transport.
• If you are offered a voucher, you do not have to accept it: refunds are paid in money unless you agree otherwise in writing.

• easyJet
• Strikes

The texts this page is based on:

• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 · EUR-Lex
• Judgment in Sturgeon, C-402/07 (2009), Court of Justice of the European Union · CURIA
• Judgment in Germanwings, C-452/13 (2014), Court of Justice of the European Union · CURIA
• Judgment in Airhelp, C-28/20 (2021), Court of Justice of the European Union · CURIA