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Italy Transport Strikes in July: Two More Disruptions Before Month End

· 2 min read Travel News
Busy Italian train station concourse with travellers and departure boards

Contents

  1. Italo NTV rail strike: 9–10 July
  2. Milan Malpensa ground handling strike: 21 July
  3. Planning around the disruptions

July brings two further transport disruptions for travellers in Italy, continuing a pattern of industrial action that has affected rail and aviation throughout 2026.

Italo NTV rail strike: 9–10 July

The national rail service Italo NTV has called a 23-hour walkout beginning at 03:00 on Thursday 9 July and ending at 02:00 on Friday 10 July. The strike affects high-speed trains on routes including Rome to Milan, Naples, Florence, Venice, and Turin.

Under Italian strike law, essential service guarantee periods apply during morning and evening peak hours. Trains departing before the strike start time and those scheduled within guaranteed service windows should run, but timetables are subject to last-minute revision.

Practical steps for travellers:

  • Log into your Italo booking and check for rescheduling or cancellation notifications.
  • If your train falls outside the guaranteed windows, request a full refund or rebook for 11 July onwards.
  • Trenitalia is unaffected by this action and may offer alternatives on overlapping routes - compare availability before paying change fees.

Milan Malpensa ground handling strike: 21 July

Three ground handling companies at Milan Malpensa (MXP) - ALHA, MLE, and BCube - have announced a walkout on 21 July. Ground handlers manage baggage loading, aircraft pushback, and fuelling, so a full stoppage would cause significant delays even for flights that technically depart.

Travellers connecting through Malpensa should allow extra time and confirm their airline’s policy on rebooking if delays exceed three hours. If you are affected, Flight Rights can check whether EU261 compensation applies to your booking. Flights from Linate and Bergamo Orio al Serio are not affected by this specific action.

Planning around the disruptions

For detailed advice on the rail network and how to rebook during strikes, see our guide to getting around Italy. If you are flexible on dates, both 8 July and 22 July onward are currently clear, though further actions may be announced. Checking the Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) and Italo’s own status pages the evening before your journey is the most reliable approach.

Italian strike regulations require operators to announce actions at least ten days in advance and to honour essential services, but real-world disruption frequently exceeds what the legal minimums suggest.