Well they're happening again... While these walkouts/slowdowns most likely won't affect you, we always like to make folks aware just in case... People traveling to, from or across Italy may possibly face disruption over the coming weeks as trade unions have called walkouts affecting air, rail and public transport services. Transport strikes can be very common and happen all the time in Italy, and this September will be no exception as unions representing airport, airline, rail and public transport staff have announced multiple walkouts which may affect the travel plans of both international visitors and locals. Quite conveniently though, strikes are generally planned and called well in advance in Italy, and the Italian transport ministry lists them on a handy online calendar.
How bad are strikes in Italy?
Strikes in Italy are frequent but rarely cause significant disruption for travelers. The severity of disruption caused by any strike in the country largely depends on how many staff in any part of the transport sector decide to participate.And, even in the case of highly disruptive strikes, some essential services (servizi minimi) are guaranteed to run at peak times. This goes for all transport sectors, from local public transport to rail and air travel. Terese & I have experienced these strikes many times over the last 40 years and most usually they are just "slow-downs" of service... ie: Trains that run an hour behind schedule, etc... They're designed to create just enough inconvenience to get locals to take notice, but usually not enough inconvenience that it turns the public against them.
Here's a look at the walkouts that you should know about if you’re traveling to, from or across Italy next month:
September 7th : Airport and airline staff strikes
Passengers flying to, from or across Italy may experience delays and/or cancellations on Saturday, September 7th, as air travel is set to be affected by multiple airport and airline staff strikes.
- Pilots and cabin staff at Italy’s flagship carrier ITA Airways and budget airline Wizz Air plan to strike from 1pm to 5pm.
- Air traffic controllers at Rome Fiumicino and Olbia Airport, and baggage handlers at Milan Malpensa, Florence Amerigo Vespucci and Pisa Galileo Galilei plan to walk out over the same four-hour period. (if you're flying into Rome on September 7th and scheduled to arrive between 1pm - 5 pm, you might want to call your airline and ask if your flight will be affected - typically arriving flights are not affected)
- Further information on how the protests may impact air travel is expected to be released on Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority’s website closer to September 7th.
- Train passengers in Italy may experience disruption on Sunday, September 8th, as drivers, conductors and other on-board service personnel around Italy plan to strike for 24 hours.
- The protest may impact both regional trains and long-distance services operated by state-owned Trenitalia and private company Italo.
- Public transport passengers may face delays and/or cancellations on Monday, September 9th as staff at bus, tram and commuter train operators around the country plan to strike for 8 hours.
- The timing and impact of the strike, which is backed by some of Italy’s main transport unions, will vary from city to city.
- Further information on guaranteed services is expected to become available closer to the date of the walkout.
- Staff at GEST, which operates tram services in Florence, Tuscany, is also set to strike for 24 hours on September 9th.
- The normal operation of bus, tram and commuter train services around Italy may be affected by a 24-hour public transport strike on Friday, September 20th.
- The level of disruption caused by the walkout will vary from city to city, with a number of minimum services (servizi minimi) set to run at peak commute times in all affected transport sectors.
- Baggage handlers at Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Venice Marco Polo and Bologna Guglielmo Marconi plan to strike for 24 hours on Tuesday, September 24th.
- The protest shouldn’t affect flights’ scheduled arrival or departure times, but may cause delays in ground operations including check-in and baggage dropoff or collection services.
- Pilots and cabin staff at Air Dolomiti, a subsidiary of German airline Lufthansa which operates a number of routes from northern Italy to Germany and vice versa, plan to walk out for 24 hours on the same day.
- Their scheduled flights may be affected by delays or cancellations as a result of the protest.
- People travelling across Italy's northern Lombardy region by train may face delays or cancellations on Monday, September 30th, as staff at regional train operator Trenord plan to strike for 23-hours – from 3am on Monday to 2am on Tuesday, October 1st.
- Italian transportation strikes, while often making headlines, are typically characterized by their limited impact on overall service. These strikes, often organized by unions representing various transportation sectors, are more about expressing discontent and making demands than causing widespread disruption.
- The strategy behind these strikes is most often focused on creating inconvenience rather than outright paralysis. This approach involves selective service reductions, such as limiting train frequencies or operating only a portion of the subway lines. While these actions can be frustrating for commuters, they rarely lead to complete shutdowns.
- This tactic can be attributed to several factors. First, Italy's transportation infrastructure is relatively well-developed, with multiple modes of transport available. Second, the Italian government often intervenes to ensure essential services continue to operate, especially during peak commuting hours. Finally, the unions themselves may be hesitant to cause too much disruption, fearing a backlash from the public.
