A series of strikes is due to hit European aviation this Autumn.
Summer may be coming to a close, meaning most people's holidays are now receding into memory, but that doesn't mean disruption across Europe's airlines and airports is over for the year.
Workers in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal are planning walk-outs this September in industrial action that is likely to disrupt airlines including easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air. We've rounded up the industrial action that is planned for this month, so you know what to look out for if you're travelling in the coming weeks.
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Strikes in Italy this September are expected to impact multiple airlines, with airport ground staff and flight attendants all set to take part in industrial action.
The first two strikes are inked in for September 6. On that day, easyJet flight staff at Catania Fontanarossa Airport, as well as Swissport employees at Milan Linate Airport who work to prepare flights, will walk out for 24 hours.
On the same day, airport workers at both Pisa International Airport and Florence Airport will hold a four-hour strike. The Hungarian budget airline told AeroTime that it "plans to minimise the impact of this strike action".
A 24-hour strike by airport handling staff at Milan Linate and Milano Malpensa Airport has also been called on September 26. Security staff at Cagliari Elmas Airport are also planning 24 hours of industrial action on the same day.
It is not overly surprising to report that air traffic controllers in France are planning a strike in September after talks over pay between their union, SNCTA, and their employer, the nation’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), broke down.
The strike will last from September 18–19 and is expected to cause disruption to a huge number of flights. Even those who aren't flying to or from France could be impacted, as so many flights follow routes over France.
The air traffic controller strikes have been called as part of a larger tranche of industrial action in opposition to plans for the 2026 budget by Prime Minister François Bayrou. The strikes are set to go ahead even if he is toppled, as expected, by a vote of confidence on September 8.
If you are heading to France this month, it's well worth checking local news sources. Unions across the country are planning strikes that could impact buses, trains and much else.
Airports across Spain will be impacted by strikes over labour rights by Azul Handling baggage staff, which is part of the Ryanair Group. The firm handles the bags for the majority of the operators’ flights. Its unionised members have planned actions from 5am to 9am, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the rest of 2025.
The affected airports are Alicante, Barcelona, Girona, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tenerife South and Valencia.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: "Due to Spain’s minimum service legislation during peak summer months, we do not expect any disruption to our operation as a result of these strikes (by the UGT union, which represents less than 20% of Azul staff) in our third-party handler in Spain.
Ground staff in the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA), including those managing baggage, check-ins, and airport servicing, have been in protracted disputes with Menzies Aviation. The unionised workers are demanding increased pay and compensation for night shifts, among other things.
SIMA workers will continue to strike periodically for the rest of 2025, with a period of industrial action from September 3 to 9, followed by more strikes on September 12 to 15, 19 to 22, and 26 to 28. In October, staff will walk out on October 3 to 6, 10 to 13, 17 to 20, 24 to 27, and 31 October to November 3.
Disruptions are expected at several of the nation’s biggest airports, including Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira, and the Azores. Menzies has been contacted for comment.
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