Europe faces severe flight disruption as Italy airport strike hits today

Published: 04:10 EDT, 30 September 2026 | Updated: 04:11 EDT, 30 September 2026 Between volcanic activity, air traffic control issues and industrial action, Europe has battled a whole host of flight disruptions in recent weeks.And now, to add to the chaos, a national strike has started in Italy involving the country's air navigation provider, ENAV and Techno Sky, a technology subsidiary.It is scheduled to take place today, September 30, for a total of four hours from 1pm to 5pm local time, affecting flights across the nation. Individual strikes are also set to occur locally at airports such as Bologna, Milan Linate, Naples and Bari, Karryon reports. Due to Italian laws, there are protected periods where flights are supposed to operate as usual.These include in the morning between 7am and 10am, as well as in the evening between 6pm and 9pm. It is thought the industrial action could have a knock-on effect on flights throughout the day with delays expected. Strikes are set to take place across Italy today between 1pm and 5pmJust yesterday, Catania Airport in Sicily was forced to cancel multiple flights following volcanic activity from Mount Etna. Many departures were cancelled from the hub, including ones to Manchester, Rome and Venice. According to The Sun, the airport said: 'All flight operations have been suspended until 3pm today, Tuesday, 29 September.'Passengers are kindly requested to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.'Earlier this month, airport chaos left hundreds of thousands of passengers facing an 'absolute nightmare', with many spending the night sleeping on the floor of airports after an issue with the UK's ATC's 'flight processing system'.National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which provides ATC services to 15 airports across the country, suffered a major technical failure, leading to mayhem at hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.Holidaymakers reported being targeted by scammers, having retirement trips ruined and weddings under threat. Among those stranded was former F1 driver and broadcaster Martin Brundle, who reported being stuck on a plane for nine hours at Heathrow. Meanwhile, flights to and from Catania Airport, in Sicily, were cancelled yesterday after volcanic activity was detected from Mount Etna Martin Rolfe, the chief executive of NATS, promised there would be a 'very, very thorough investigation' into the incident.Meanwhile, more travel disruption is expected as easyJet cabin crew based in Portugal and members of the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) union have announced industrial action in October and December. The strikes are set to take place from October 2 to 6, as well as from December 19 to 23, in response to deteriorating working conditions.The first round of industrial action is expected to ground around 500 flights, and those travelling via Lisbon, Porto and Faro could face delays and cancellations. The Daily Mail has approached ENAV and easyJet for comment.