Italy air strikes, 20 to 22 November 2026: cancelled flights and your rights

Published: October 26, 2026 · Last updated: October 26, 2026

Three strikes hit Italian air travel in one weekend: a 24-hour general strike on Friday 20 November 2026, a 4-hour national strike by air traffic controllers on Saturday 21 November and, on Sunday 22 November, 24-hour strikes by air traffic controllers at Milan Malpensa and by security staff at Venice Marco Polo. Flights departing between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00 are protected by law. If yours is cancelled, you are always owed a refund or another flight and care. Compensation of €250 to €600 is usually not owed for these strikes, because most of the strikers do not work for the airlines.

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What is planned

Friday 20 November: the CGIL union's general strike, for the whole working day, in every public and private sector, air transport included. The CGIL cites the cost of living, the government's budget choices, wages and pensions.
Saturday 21 November: a national strike by staff of ENAV, Italy's air traffic control provider, from 13:00 to 17:00 (FILT-CGIL and UGL-TA).
Sunday 22 November: a 24-hour strike by ENAV staff at Milan Malpensa, from 00:01 to 24:00 (RSA FAST-CONFSAL-AV), and a 24-hour strike by Sicuritalia IVRI security staff at Venice Marco Polo airport.

Guaranteed flights

On strike days, Italian law protects flights scheduled to depart between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00: they must operate. ENAC publishes the list of other guaranteed flights shortly before each strike. The air traffic control strike on 21 November, from 13:00 to 17:00, falls entirely outside those windows, so flights in that slot are the most exposed.

Who is striking decides whether compensation is owed

Air traffic controllers and airport security staff do not work for the airlines: a cancellation caused by their strike is generally treated as an extraordinary circumstance, and the fixed compensation is usually not owed. On 20 November, airline staff may also join the general strike. When an airline's own staff strike over their own conditions, compensation is as a rule owed (Court of Justice of the European Union, Airhelp v SAS, C-28/20, 2021), but whether that applies to a general strike against government policy has not been decided. We assess each case on its facts.

The 14-day line

Compensation for a cancellation also depends on when you were told. If your airline told you at least two weeks ahead, which means by 6 November for a flight on 20 November, by 7 November for 21 November and by 8 November for 22 November, no compensation is owed, although a refund or another flight still is.

Your rights if your flight is cancelled

Whatever the cause, the airline must offer you a full refund within 7 days or another flight to your destination. While you wait, it must provide meals and refreshments and, if you have to stay overnight, a hotel and transport to it. Where compensation is owed, it is per passenger:

€250 up to 1,500 km, such as Milan Malpensa to Paris Charles de Gaulle (about 600 km) or Rome Fiumicino to London Heathrow (about 1,440 km);
€400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km, such as Naples to London Gatwick (about 1,590 km);
€600 over 3,500 km, such as Rome Fiumicino to New York JFK (about 6,870 km).

If your flight is delayed

If you reach your destination 3 hours or more late, the same amounts can apply (Court of Justice of the European Union, Sturgeon, C-402/07, 2009), and the same question of cause decides. What counts is when the aircraft doors open on arrival (Germanwings, C-452/13, 2014).

What to do now

Check your booking in the airline's app before you travel, and keep every email or text message about a cancellation or a new time: the date you were told matters. If your flight is cancelled, choose between the refund and another flight, keep your receipts for meals and the hotel, and check your flight with us: it takes two minutes and costs nothing unless we win.

Frequently asked questions

My flight leaves at 08:30 on 20 November. Will it operate?

It should: on strike days, flights departing between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00 are guaranteed by law. Check your booking anyway, as delays are still possible.

I am flying from Milan Malpensa on Sunday 22 November. What should I expect?

Malpensa's air traffic controllers strike for 24 hours, so departures and arrivals outside the guaranteed windows may be cancelled, while departures between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00 are protected. Watch for messages from your airline and keep them.

Will I get compensation for a flight cancelled by these strikes?

Usually not for the air traffic control and security strikes on 21 and 22 November. For 20 November it depends on who stopped work: airline staff joining the general strike is a question the courts have not settled. A refund or another flight, and care, are owed in every case.

Can the strikes still be called off?

Yes. Italian strikes are often called off or postponed in the days before; ENAC and the airlines announce changes. We update this page when the calendar changes.

Official sources

The texts this page is based on:

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