Wednesday flurry of air transport protests: Ita Airways cancels 72 international and domestic flights

More than seventy Ita Airways flights cancelled on Wednesday 17 December due to the four-hour national strike (from 1 to 5 p.m.) of all the company's staff, called jointly by all the main trade unions and professional associations. The same day is also scheduled for a protest - also from 1 to 5 p.m. - of Vueling cabin crew. Particular inconveniences are expected in Rome, where Enav air traffic controllers will cross their arms for the protest called by Filt-Cgil, Ugl Ta and Fast Confsal Av, also from 1 to 5 p.m. Two other protests are scheduled in the same time frame: the one of the workers of the airport handling companies associated with Assohandler called by Flai Transport and Services and the ground staff of Air France Klm proclaimed by Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uilt, Ugl Ta.

Let's start with the Ita Airways protest that on Wednesday 17 December announced the cancellation of 72 international and domestic flights - out of the approximately 320 operated during this period - due to the first national strike called by Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Trasporto Aereo, Anpac and Anp and the other planned stoppages, Ita Airways has invited all travellers who have purchased a ticket for the day of the strike to check the status of their flight, before going to the airport, on the ita-airways website.com, in the Flight Info section, or by contacting the travel agency where they purchased their ticket.

Passengers who have purchased an Ita Airways ticket to travel on 17 December, in the event of a cancellation or change in the time of their flight, may change their reservation without penalty or request a refund of their ticket (only if the flight has been cancelled or delayed by 5 hours or more) no later than 24 December 2025 by calling +39 06 85960020 from Italy and abroad, or by contacting the travel agency where they purchased their ticket.

The trade unions are striking for three main reasons. The first is the renewal of the national contract, with wage increases. The start-up contract for the employees of Ita Airways had started with a reduction in labour costs of between 30 and 40% compared to the old Alitalia, then there was a partial recovery of wages but, according to the unions' estimates, there is still a gap of 20% compared to the average of the Lufthansa group contract. In the united platform, the unions demanded an increase of 20-22% of the total economic treatment over the three-year period and claim that the sum formally offered by the company for the contractual renewal is limited to a maximum increase of 2% per year of labour costs for the next 3 years, until 2028.

The second reason is linked to the industrial plan: the unions are asking for more investment in the fleet, also to ensure the recovery of former Alitalia staff still benefiting from the extraordinary redundancy fund and the stabilisation of fixed-term contracts. In the five-year period from 2026 to 2030, the company plans to add one long-haul aircraft a year, therefore five aircraft in total, which are considered by the unions to be 'too few' to guarantee the company's development.