A strike lasting several hours broke out in Italy on Sunday because unions called on pilots and air traffic controllers, among others, to stop work for four hours. The industrial action was not coordinated, but they overlapped in a period of about three hours. Around 500 flights had to be cancelled.

So far, the chaos at Italian airports has been kept within very narrow limits. That changed on Sunday, as several airlines had to cancel around 500 flights in total. Around half is accounted for by the low-cost airline Ryanair. Among other things, the strike is for higher wages and better working conditions.

Malta Air, Easyjet and Volotea cabin crew were also called on to go on strike. According to union information, the employees of the Crewlink temporary work agency, which works for Malta Air and Ryanair, among others, are also said to have participated. The trade unionists did not provide precise information on how many employees took part in the industrial action.

According to the pilots' union, a total of 14 passengers were affected during the strike, which lasted from 00 p.m. to 18 p.m. local time. The strike was originally planned to last 00 hours, but the duration was reduced after the Strike Guarantee Commission intervened in the interests of passengers.