Airline strike July 5, 2026: passenger rights and refund guide

With the National air transport strike on July 5, 2026Many passengers risk delays, cancellations, or denied boarding. What does the law say in these cases? When are you entitled to compensation? Here's a comprehensive guide to air passenger rights in the event of a strike.

Strike: the regulatory framework

In the event of a strike, the right to compensation is limited compared to normal delays and cancellations. According to the EU Regulation n. 261 / 2004, the airline staff strike is considered an “extraordinary circumstance” that exempts the carrier from the obligation to provide financial compensation.

Please note: the law distinguishes between strikes by airline personnel (direct employees) and strikes by external personnel (airline controllers, handling personnel, airport security personnel). In both cases, the airline can invoke extraordinary circumstances, but more recent European case law tends to restrict this interpretation.

When compensation is triggered

You can make a claim for compensation ONLY if ALL of these conditions are met:

• The flight does not fall within the time slot directly affected by the strike
• The flight is not older than 1,5 years
• The passenger showed up punctual at check-in
• The flight departed from a EU airport or landed in the EU with a European carrier

Compensation amounts

The EU Regulation provides for these figures for delays of 3 hours or more, flight cancellations or denied boarding:

• Short routes (up to 1.500 km): 250 euros
• Medium routes (1.500-3.500 km): 400 euros
• Long routes (over 3.500 km): 600 euros

What is guaranteed even in the event of a strike

Even if financial compensation may not be triggered, the airline is still required to guarantee the passenger:

• Support: meals and drinks in relation to waiting time
• Overnight stay in the hotel if the flight is rescheduled for the next day
• Ticket refund o alternative rerouting in case of cancellation
• Transfer from the airport to the hotel and vice versa
• Two free phone calls or emails

How to behave at the airport

If your July 5th flight is affected by the strike, follow these steps:

1. Don't leave the airport without first speaking to the company staff: voluntary abandonment could cause you to lose rights
2. Keep all documents: boarding pass, ticket, airline communications, receipts for extra expenses
3. Request the complaint form to the airline or download it from the official website
4. Photograph the scoreboards with flight status as proof
5. Get a certificate issued of delay or cancellation written by the company

If the flight is in a time slot not covered by the strike

If your flight is scheduled in a time slot not directly affected by the strike (for example after 6pm at Fiumicino, where the Adr Security strike is from 10am to 6pm), but still suffers a delay of more than 3 hours, you may be entitled to compensationIn this case, the extraordinary circumstance is not directly applicable.

Where to file a complaint

To request a refund or compensation, contact the airline directly. If you don't receive a response within 60 days or receive a negative response, you can contact theENAC (National Civil Aviation Authority) for conciliation, or to theTransport Regulatory Authority.