easyJet. Photo: SNEHIT PHOTO / Shutterstock.com Passengers planning to fly to or from Italy this Friday, October 16, may face flight disruptions. A nationwide strike by easyJet flight attendants is expected to last a full day, and Italy's Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has already published the list of flights that must operate during the strike. What is expected to happen at airports, which flights are protected and what is important to know before leaving for the airport?
According to the official strike schedule of the Italian Ministry of Transport, a nationwide strike by easyJet flight crews is expected on Friday, October 16, 2026, following an announcement by the USB Lavoro Privato workers' union.
The strike is scheduled to begin at midnight, 00:00, and end at 23:59 on the same day. This is a strike by the company's flight crew, and not a general strike by all airlines or airport workers in Italy. This means that some flights may be delayed or canceled, depending on the extent of employee participation in the strike and the company's preparations. However, the mere announcement of the strike does not indicate that all easyJet flights on that day will be canceled.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) published an official document on October 12th detailing the flights that must continue to operate under Italian law, even during an aviation strike.
According to the regulations, Italy has two protected time slots during which airlines must operate flights scheduled to take off: between 07:00 and 10:00 in the morning and between 18:00 and 21:00 in the evening, local Italian time. In addition to the flights scheduled during the protected hours, ENAC has defined several additional flights that must operate, mainly to maintain essential transport links with the islands.
The official document includes flights EJU 4115 and EJU 4116 between Naples and Olbia in Sardinia, flights EJU 3599 and EJU 3600 between Milan Malpensa Airport and Lampedusa, and flight EJU 3897 from Malpensa to Sharm el-Sheikh.
The Authority clarifies that additional flights may also operate during the day, depending on the company's operational capacity and the extent of participation in the strike. Therefore, a flight that is not explicitly mentioned in the list of guaranteed flights is not necessarily a canceled flight.
Passengers whose flights are canceled may be entitled to the protections set out in European Regulation EC 261/2004, which applies, inter alia, to flights departing from Italy.
If a flight is canceled, the airline must offer the passenger a choice between a refund or re-routing, in accordance with the conditions set out in the regulation.
Passengers who are forced to wait for an alternative flight may also be entitled to meals, drinks and, in cases requiring additional accommodation, hotel accommodation and necessary transportation. In certain circumstances, passengers may also be entitled to financial compensation of 250 to 600 euros, depending on the flight distance and the conditions set out in the law.
Not every strike exempts the airline from its obligation to pay compensation. According to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, an internal strike by airline employees is not necessarily an extraordinary circumstance that exempts the company from paying compensation. Eligibility is assessed according to the circumstances of the cancellation and the provisions of the regulation.
Passengers with easyJet tickets for this Friday are asked to follow the company's announcements and check the status of their flight on the official website or in the app. It is especially important to ensure that the updated email address and phone number appear on the booking, in order to receive notifications of possible changes. Passengers whose flight is still listed as scheduled should not assume that it has been canceled due to the strike. They should act in accordance with the company's instructions and monitor updates, even close to the departure date.
As of October 14, the strike is still scheduled to take place, and the list of guaranteed flights has already been published. However, the actual extent of disruption will depend on easyJet's preparations and operational decisions made ahead of Friday.