For travellers in Italy during September 2026, planning is more demanding than usual. Following the summer break and with the return to school and work, the Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti has, in its Osservatorio sui conflitti sindacali recorded several announced strikes in the rail, aviation and public transport sectors, with a number of particularly sensitive windows in the calendar. The most significant dates fall at the beginning, middle and end of the month, with 26 September standing out as the one day on which strikes across all major transport modes may overlap simultaneously. The following is an overview of current announcements as of the ministry update dated 24 August 2026, with the caveat that individual actions may still be postponed, extended or cancelled before the respective strike date.
7 and 8 September: National 24-hour rail strike
The first sensitive period affects the entire Italian rail network. As the financial newspaper Quifinanza documents in its strike calendar overview, the Assemblea Nazionale PDM/PDB of the Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane has called a national 24-hour strike , running from 21:18 on 7 September until 21:17 on 8 September. All train and on-board staff of Trenitalia, Mercitalia Rail and Trenitalia Tper are involved. During the same period, SGB and CUB Trasporti as well as CAT have additionally announced national strikes in rail freight and rail-connected companies.
The impact of the strike is expected to cover regional services, Intercity connections and high-speed routes. Connecting times between regional trains and long-distance services are also affected, which amplifies the consequences for multi-day journeys. As the travel portal Qualitytravel notes in its rail sector strike calendar, two regional strikes are additionally taking place on 7 September: staff at Trenitalia's Direzione Customer Operations CSVD Regionale Piemonte will strike for 24 hours, while Trenitalia's mobile staff in Trentino-Alto Adige will strike from 09:01 to 17:00. Anyone who must travel by train in Italy during this period is advised to check the fasce di garanzia , those time windows during which Trenitalia keeps certain trains running despite the strike in order to guarantee a minimum service.
10 to 11 September: Freight transport and regional strikes
A few days later, a second sensitive phasefollows. As the specialist portal Businessmobility.travel documents in its strike calendar, FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL and UILT-UIL have announced a national 24-hour strike at Captrain Italia in rail freight, running from 16:01 on 10 September until 16:00 on 11 September. During the same period, Orsa Ferrovie and SLM FAST have called a 24-hour strike in the Territorial South Verona area of RFI, from 21:00 on 10 September until 20:59 on 11 September, with possible consequences for the region's rail infrastructure and connecting services to and from the Brenner.
On 21 September, a further RFI strike follows, covering the Bologna and Salerno areas, as the specialist publication Missionline documents in its strike overview. For travellers planning long-distance routes through Emilia-Romagna or southern Italy, this day carries the risk of delays and cancellations. The specific arrangements and time windows will be clarified by the ministry in the days preceding the strike and can be viewed in the official ministry calendar.
13 and 30 September: Aviation strikes
The aviation sector has two critical dates. As Quifinanza documents in its strike overview, on 13 September staff at Toscana Aeroporti, Gh Toscana and Consulta will strike at Pisa and Florence airports from 11:00 to 15:00, with possible consequences for check-in, security controls and handling. On the same day, an all-day strike by ADR security staff at Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports has been announced, called by FAST-CONFSAL, as well as a strike by Vigilanza institutes at Rome Fiumicino, Varese and Turin. In addition, staff at the Tuscan airports have announced an overtime ban from 13 September to 12 October 2026, which may affect operational organisation even outside the specific strike days. On 28 September, a further regional stoppage follows: staff at Air Campania in Naples will walk out for four hours from 08:00 to 12:00.
The considerably more serious aviation disruption falls on 30 September. As the daily newspaper Il Quotidiano Nazionale notes in its overview, on the last day of the month, staff at ENAV and Techno Sky will strike nationally from 13:00 to 17:00, called by UILTrasporti. The two companies are responsible for air traffic control and the technical maintenance of the systems used to manage Italian airspace. A strike in this area has systemic consequences for all Italian flights during that period, regardless of the airline concerned.
15 September: Public transport
In the middle of the month, stoppages in public transport concentrate in two regions. As the portal Studenti.it documents in its strike calendar, staff at Naples' Metropolitana ANM have announced a 4-hour strike from 12.45 to 16.45, with possible disruption to the metro and related services. In Tuscany, Autolinee Toscane have announced a 24-hour strike on the same day covering the Florence area and the Prato depot, with extensive impact on the bus networks of both cities. On 22 September, a further strike in Umbria's local public transport will affect travellers wishing to explore the region around Perugia and Assisi by bus or train. For those travelling in the Florence, Naples or Umbria areas on any of these days, it is advisable to check alternative options and guaranteed connections well in advance.
26 September: National General Strike
The only day on which potential stoppages across all major transport and service sectors coincide is Saturday, 26 September. As the daily newspaper Today reports in its overview of the strike month, CSLE, with the agreement of the Sigla OS FISI, has called a 24-hour national general strike affecting schools, healthcare, public administration, petrol stations, rail, aviation and local public transport simultaneously. For local public transport, the Ministry's calendar currently provides for a timeframe of 08.00 to 21.00.
For the rail, aviation and maritime sectors, the specific terms and conditions had not yet been defined at the time of the Ministry's update on 24 August, with a stated duration of up to 24 hours. As Businessmobility.travel notes from a rail perspective, 26 September is therefore the most critical travel period of the month. Those planning intermodal connections, for example combining rail, flight and local transfer, should have alternatives in place for that day or consider shifting their journey by one or two days.
What Travellers Can Do Now
The Ministry's calendar is updated on an ongoing basis. As the trade publication Missionline documents in its overview, announced strikes may be cancelled, postponed or newly added. The most reliable source of information is the official website of the Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti, with its Osservatorio sui conflitti sindacali, supplemented by communications from individual transport operators. Trenitalia publishes on its website the list of guaranteed trains that will remain in service during strikes, along with detailed timetables and rerouting information.
For travellers in Italy, it is recommended to plan travel flexibly on the affected days, allowing buffer times of several hours, particularly for connecting services and international flights. For those travelling by car, it should be noted that petrol stations may also be affected by the stoppages on 26 September, making it advisable to fill up in good time before any longer journey. Anyone who does proceed with their travel should check both their entitlement regarding ticket prices (rebooking or refund) and the relevant rules of their airline or rail operator for strike-related cancellations.
An overview of all strikes in Italy can be found HERE in our service section.
