Italian aviation faces a crisis this Monday, May 11th. broad and simultaneous shutdownPilots and flight attendants at EasyJet are on strike from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, while air traffic controllers in Rome and Naples have joined the strike during the same hours. ITA Airways has already announced the preemptive cancellation of 123 flights, equivalent to 38% of its daily operations.
For the Brazilian public, there is a relevant piece of information: the flight. LATAM Airlines LA8121The route from Rome-Fiumicino (FCO) to São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) is included in the official list of guaranteed operations released by ENAC, the Italian civil aviation regulatory agency. The operation should continue normally, barring any minor adjustments.
Protected schedules
Italian law guarantees regular flight schedules even during air sector strikes. This Monday, flights are protected between 7 am and 10 am and from 18 pm to 21 pm. All arriving intercontinental flights, some departing intercontinental flights authorized by ENAC (the Italian Civil Aviation Authority), and domestic flights already underway at the start of the strike are also guaranteed.
Besides EasyJet: who else to
The strike goes beyond a single company. Enav air traffic controllers at Rome and Naples airports are striking from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, which could cause cascading delays across the entire national network. At Milan-Malpensa, air cargo operators from Alha and MLE-Bcube are striking from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
In Palermo, the staff of , The companies ASC Handling, Aviapartner, and GH Palermo will suspend operations from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. In Rome, security personnel from ADR Security at Fiumicino and Ciampino airports will strike during the same period. In Cagliari, the main airport companies, including Sogaer and Sogaersecurity, will join the strike from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
What motivated the strike?
At EasyJet, the unions Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl TA, and Anpac denounce "stagnation in negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement" and "deterioration of industrial relations." The decision follows a four-hour strike on January 31 and a 24-hour strike on February 26, both without progress. In other sectors, the main demands are contract renewals and better working conditions.
Your rights as a passenger: In case of cancellation, the company must offer free rescheduling or a full refund. The right to additional compensation exists only if the strike is by the company's own staff. Strikes by third-party companies, such as Enav, do not generate extra compensation.
Upcoming planned strikes
The strikes don't end today. On May 18th, the USB grassroots unions are calling a general strike of railway workers. On May 25th, a four-day strike of road freight transport will begin, lasting until May 29th, throughout Italy.
