Three strikes are listed for 14, 15 and 16 December 2026. On the 14th, ground handling at Fiumicino and Ciampino (listed 00:00 to 24:00; actual length unknown). On the 15th, ENAV staff at Bologna. On the 16th, cleaning staff at Bologna, with no flight listed as affected. No ENAC list of guaranteed flights existed on 11 November 2026.
Verified on against the official sources cited (Commissione di garanzia, ENAC, EUR-Lex).
Flying out of Rome or Bologna around mid-December? Three strike actions are on Italy’s official strike calendar for those three days. They don’t involve the same airports, the same staff or the same flights. This article separates what is confirmed from what isn’t yet, and the rights you keep in every case.
1. Three strikes, three scopes
The dates come from the Commissione di garanzia dell’attuazione della legge sullo sciopero nei servizi pubblici essenziali, the Italian authority that logs strike notices in essential public services, air transport included. Each entry gives the date, hours, union, geographic scope and status. All three entries were marked « Attivo » (active) on the day we checked, 11 November 2026. The transport ministry’s register wasn’t reachable during that check, so the three entries are confirmed only by the Commissione.
| Date | Hours | Location | Employer or sector | Union | Announced on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 14 December 2026 | 00:00 to 24:00 | Fiumicino and Ciampino (Rome) | Aviation Service, ground handling | Fast Confsal | 8 October 2026 |
| Tuesday 15 December 2026 | 00:00 to 24:00 | Bologna (APT Bologna) | ENAV, staff | Uiltrasporti | 16 October 2026 |
| Wednesday 16 December 2026 | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | Bologna (Marconi airport) | La Lucente, cleaning | Filcams Cgil, Uiltrasporti | 23 October 2026 |
Source: Commissione di garanzia, strike calendar, entries 381882, 382185 and 382371, checked on 11 November 2026.
Three points matter more than the dates.
The 14 December strike isn’t a national one. The entry is marked « Nazionale », but its scope covers only Fiumicino and Ciampino. Articles that describe a nationwide strike at Italian airports are describing something other than what the official calendar lists.
The 15 and 16 December actions concern Bologna. The 15th is the ENAV staff strike at Guglielmo Marconi airport, listed as « Locale » (local) in the entry. It doesn’t cover all of Italy’s air traffic controllers.
The 16 December action isn’t a flight strike. It’s a strike by airport cleaning staff, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The entry doesn’t flag any flight as directly affected.
Two limits to keep in mind. The calendar tells you a strike is scheduled, not how many flights it will hit. And a strike can be postponed (see section 8). These dates are confirmed as of the check date, but they aren’t set in stone.
On 15 December, a taxi strike also runs from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (entry 382881). Its geographic scope wasn’t recorded. It doesn’t touch air transport, but it can affect the ride to the airport.
2. Monday 14 December: Fiumicino and Ciampino
Ground handling, listed 00:00 to 24:00, at Fiumicino and Ciampino
The strike involves Aviation Service, the ground-handling company that runs part of the ground operations (check-in, baggage, boarding bridges) for several airlines. The notice was filed by Fast Confsal and announced on 8 October 2026. It covers Fiumicino and Ciampino for the full calendar day, according to entry 381882 of the Commissione, checked on 11 November 2026. No union statement we found cites this date (see section 8).
The practical point is who is on strike. It isn’t your airline, but its ground-handling provider. A flight can go ahead, be delayed or be cancelled depending on the provider that handles its check-in, the airline and the departure time. Before you travel, ask your airline in writing which company handles check-in and baggage at Fiumicino and at Ciampino. A written answer is worth more than a third-party guide.
The entry doesn’t say how many flights will be affected, and no list of guaranteed flights had been published as of the check date. What the rules say is that flights scheduled within the guaranteed time windows stay covered. Outside them, the rule is tighter (see section 5).
To do before 14 December
- Ask your airline which provider handles your check-in and bags.
- Check ENAC’s list of guaranteed flights as soon as it is published, then your flight’s status on the airline’s site.
- Keep your booking confirmation, receipts for any expenses and all written exchanges with the airline.
The activity below has nothing to do with the strikes or with your rights. It’s for anyone waiting in Rome who wants to fill part of the day. For this product, all three dates (14 to 16 December) were open as of 12 November 2026. For anything after that, check availability on the activity page.
3. Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 December: Bologna
ENAV staff on the 15th, cleaning crew on the 16th
On 15 December, the strike involves ENAV staff assigned to Bologna airport (APT Bologna), announced on 16 October 2026 by Uiltrasporti. ENAV is the public company that runs air navigation control in Italy. The entry lists the scope as « BOLOGNA » and is marked « Locale », so this is a local action, not one covering all of the country’s controllers (entry 382185).
On 16 December, the strike involves the airport’s cleaning staff, employed by a subcontractor, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. It’s backed by Filcams Cgil and Uiltrasporti and was announced on 23 October 2026 (entry 382371). No flight is flagged as affected by this entry.
Two separate actions, two entries, two unions: don’t add them together. The 15th is about air traffic control, the 16th about airport cleanliness. The same airport can face both without the consequences for your flight being the same.
What to check
- For a flight on 15 December, check its status the evening before and the morning of departure.
- For a flight on 16 December, the entry lists no affected flight, so your flight’s status is what counts.
- For a trip into the city, check the day’s timetable before you leave (section 9).
4. Depending on your trip: what to plan for
For a departure on 14 or 15 December, the guaranteed windows are 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Outside those windows, only 20% of scheduled flights can be guaranteed. That benchmark applies to everyone. What changes is how much margin each traveler wants.
Business travel
If a meeting depends on a flight on 14 or 15 December, choose a departure inside a guaranteed window rather than a midday flight outside them. Keep a fallback, such as a train or a flight the next day, and check it the day before.
Family travel
Leave a generous buffer before departure and keep receipts for meals and transport. Article 9 of the European regulation covers them when the cancellation justifies it.
Tight budget
From Ciampino, the direct bus to Termini costs about €6 and takes about 40 minutes. From Bologna, the Marconi Express is listed at about €12.80 one way. Both figures come from unverified secondary sources, checked on 12 November 2026 (see section 9). Keep every receipt: without one, an expense linked to a cancellation is hard to get back.
5. The rules that protect your flights
In Italy, air transport can’t be stopped without a framework. Law 146 of 12 June 1990 regulates strikes in essential public services: notice periods, guaranteed flight windows, maximum action lengths and truces. For air transport, resolution 14/387 of the Commissione sets out the details. ENAC summarizes them on its « minimum guaranteed services » page, which was last updated on 12 April 2024. The rules that apply to the three dates are on it.
Five rules matter for you.
| Rule | Value | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed windows for passenger flights | 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Scheduled flights departing in these windows are guaranteed. |
| Length of the first action | 4 hours maximum | A strike listed for 24 hours doesn’t say how long the action actually lasts. |
| Following actions | One calendar day maximum | A dispute can run on in stages, each one regulated. |
| Flights outside guaranteed windows (airports) | 20% of scheduled flights | Outside the windows, only part of the flights can operate. |
| Christmas blackout period | 18 December to 7 January | No air transport strike is allowed in this period. The three December dates fall before it. |
Source: ENAC, minimum guaranteed services, checked on 11 November 2026.
In practice, a flight scheduled to leave between 7:00 and 10:00 am, or between 6:00 and 9:00 pm, is covered by the rule. Outside those windows, airports can only operate a share of their schedules, set at 20%. The 14 and 15 December entries run for 24 hours, but the four-hour limit applies to the first action of a dispute. The real length is in the Commissione’s notices for each dispute, not in the calendar entry alone.
What hasn’t been published yet. The list of guaranteed flights for the three days wasn’t on the ENAC page we checked on 11 November 2026, which is dated 9 November. We found no ENAC strike notice (a « comunicazione sciopero ») for these dates. These are the two documents to watch first, ahead of the airline itself.
6. Your rights: what the European regulation says
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to any flight departing from an EU airport, whichever airline operates it. A cancelled flight triggers three rights that don’t depend on why it was cancelled: a refund of the ticket or re-routing (Article 8), care while you wait (Article 9), and written information at check-in (Article 14).
Compensation depends on the cause. Article 5 exempts the airline if it proves an extraordinary circumstance that couldn’t have been avoided. Recital 14 lists strikes that affect how the carrier operates among these circumstances. The Court of Justice of the EU settled the most common case: in judgment C-28/20 of 23 March 2021 (AirHelp v SAS), it holds that a strike by the airline’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance. So the airline generally has to pay compensation (Court press release).
For a strike by a third party, such as a ground-handling provider or air traffic control, the answer depends on the case. The airline has to show that the strike actually stopped the aircraft from flying and that it took all reasonable measures. Passenger advocacy sites often present this question as settled one way or the other. The text isn’t settled, and this article can’t predict how a claim will go.
There’s also an exception. Under Article 5(1)(c), compensation isn’t due if you’re told of the cancellation at least two weeks before the scheduled departure time. Check this on EUR-Lex before any claim, with the deadline for each of your flights.
The compensation amount is set by distance (Article 7).
| Article | Right | Amount or deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 7(1) | Compensation, flight of 1,500 km or less | €250 |
| 7(1) | Compensation, intra-EU flight over 1,500 km, or flight of 1,500 to 3,500 km | €400 |
| 7(1) | Compensation, flight over 3,500 km | €600 |
| 8 | Refund of the ticket (unused part) or re-routing | Within 7 days |
| 9 | Meals and refreshments, hotel if a night is needed, transport, two calls or messages | While you wait |
Source: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, checked on 11 November 2026.
A refund and compensation are two separate claims. You can get the first without the second being due, for example if the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance. In both cases, keep receipts for meals and transport you paid for because of the cancellation. Expenses aren’t always reimbursed without a written claim, and a claim without documents is hard to defend.
7. How to claim, step by step, with the right deadlines
The Italian process goes through the airline first. ENAC only steps in afterwards, and it doesn’t pay compensation itself. Deadlines matter: several guides mention 30 days, which doesn’t match the official page checked on 12 November 2026.
| Step | Deadline | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Claim to the airline | Six weeks for the airline to reply, from receipt | In writing, through the airline’s channel |
| 2. Complaint to ENAC, if the reply is missing or unsatisfactory | Within two years of the flight; the page advises filing within six months | Online form only, after registration |
| 3. Compensation dispute | Mandatory conciliation, then the courts | ConciliaWeb, Transport Regulation Authority (ART) |
Source: ENAC, complaint procedures, checked on 12 November 2026.
Two points. First, ENAC checks compliance with the regulation and can sanction a breach, but it doesn’t pay compensation. Second, the official route to ENAC is its online form, after you register on the platform. A letter or an email isn’t enough to file with the authority.
For your file, gather the booking confirmation, proof of cancellation, the letter sent to the airline with its date of receipt, and the invoices for expenses.
8. What other guides don’t tell you
- The dispute behind the 14 December strike has been running since summer. Fast Confsal announced on 6 August 2026 that conciliation with Aviation Service at the Rome Prefecture had failed, and reserved the right to take legal action (union statement, checked on 11 November 2026). No statement we found mentions 14 December.
- A confirmed strike can be postponed. In February 2026, the Commissione flagged to the transport minister a risk of disruption during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The minister issued a precettazione order (a legal requirement to keep services running), and an air strike already announced was postponed (according to the press, AGI, 11 February 2026, extract not opened). A date on the calendar isn’t a guarantee.
- No dated first-hand account covers these three dates. The searches of 11 and 12 November 2026 only turned up reports from 2015 to 2025: cancellations at Fiumicino, delayed bags, re-routed flights. This article therefore reports no personal experience, and invents none.
9. Practical information for your trips
The Leonardo Express links the airport to Termini station in about 32 minutes, for about €14. These figures come from unverified secondary sources (aggregators and transport site extracts, checked on 12 November 2026): confirm them with Trenitalia. The current timetable runs until 12 December, and a new one applies from 13 December. None of the air strike entries we checked covers this rail service.
Direct buses to Termini cost about €6 and take about 40 minutes, according to unverified aggregators checked on 12 November 2026. Taxi fares found online contradict each other, so no figure is kept here: the airport’s official taxi fare is the reference.
The Marconi Express links the airport to Bologna Centrale for about €12.80 one way, according to unverified secondary sources (checked on 12 November 2026). The official 2026 fare wasn’t checked: confirm it before you leave.
All three dates fall before the Christmas blackout period. A flight scheduled from 18 December is covered by the ENAC text’s exemption, which runs until 7 January: no air transport strike is allowed in that time.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a strike at Italian airports in December 2026?
Yes. Three actions are on the official calendar of the Commissione di garanzia: on 14 December at Fiumicino and Ciampino (ground handling, listed from 00:00 to 24:00, actual length unknown), on 15 December at Bologna (ENAV staff), and on 16 December at Bologna (cleaning staff, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, with no flight directly affected). The entries were marked « Attivo » (active) on the check date of 11 November 2026, entry 381882.
Will my flight from Fiumicino on 14 December be cancelled?
Nobody can know in advance. Flights scheduled to leave between 7:00 and 10:00 am and between 6:00 and 9:00 pm are covered by ENAC’s rule. Outside those windows, airports can operate 20% of scheduled flights. The actual number of affected flights isn’t published. Check your flight’s status with the airline the evening before and the morning of departure.
How do I know if my flight is guaranteed?
Watch for the list of guaranteed flights published by ENAC, when there is one. It wasn’t published on 11 November 2026. Then check your flight’s status with the airline. A third-party guide doesn’t replace the official list, which is the reference.
Am I entitled to compensation if my flight is cancelled because of a strike?
It depends on who is on strike. For a strike by the airline’s own staff, the EU Court of Justice ruled in judgment C-28/20 of 23 March 2021 that it isn’t an extraordinary circumstance, so compensation is generally due. For a strike by a third party, such as the ground-handling provider or air traffic control, the airline can invoke an extraordinary circumstance if it proves it. Article 5(1)(c) also provides an exception if you’re told of the cancellation at least two weeks before departure: check this on EUR-Lex. Amounts are €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance.
What rights do I keep in every case?
A refund of the ticket, or re-routing, within 7 days (Article 8 of Regulation 261/2004). Care while you wait (Article 9): meals and refreshments, a hotel if a night is needed, transport, and two calls or messages. These rights don’t depend on why the flight was cancelled. Keep receipts for the expenses you incur.
How do I file a complaint with ENAC?
First send a written complaint to the airline, which has six weeks to reply. If there’s no reply, or the reply doesn’t satisfy you, file with ENAC through its online form, after registering, within two years of the flight. The page advises doing it within six months. ENAC doesn’t pay compensation. A compensation dispute goes through ConciliaWeb conciliation, then the courts.
Can the strike last all day?
ENAC’s rule limits the first action of a dispute to four hours, and following actions to one calendar day at most. The entries for 14 and 15 December are listed for 24 hours. That doesn’t give the real length of the action: it’s in the Commissione’s notices for each dispute, so check it on the day you travel.
Sources
- Commissione di garanzia, strike calendar : entries 381882 (14 December), 382185 (15 December), 382371 (16 December) and 382881 (taxis, 15 December), checked on 11 November 2026.
- ENAC, minimum guaranteed services : service windows, exemption periods and length of actions, checked on 11 November 2026.
- ENAC, guaranteed flights : page dated 9 November 2026, with no list published when checked on 11 November 2026.
- ENAC, complaint procedures : deadlines and complaint channel, checked on 12 November 2026.
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 : Articles 5, 7, 8, 9 and 14, recital 14, checked on 11 November 2026.
- Court of Justice of the EU, press release on judgment C-28/20 : strike by a carrier’s staff, 23 March 2021, partially read on 12 November 2026.
- Fast Confsal statement of 6 August 2026 (PDF), on conciliation with Aviation Service.
- AGI, 11 February 2026: press report on the postponement of an air strike (extract not opened, secondary source).
- Fares and timetables to the city centre: unverified secondary sources (aggregators and transport site extracts, checked on 12 November 2026), to be confirmed.
Sources checked on 11 and 12 November 2026. Transport prices are indicative.
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