Monday, March 24, 2025
Five major airlines—EasyJet, Ryanair, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, and Dreamjet—are experiencing new travel disruptions in Italy today, with multiple cancellations and delays reported at Malpensa Airport. The chaos, driven by a 24-hour EasyJet pilot strike, widespread ground crew walkouts, and persistent rain, comes as spring break travel puts added pressure on Europe’s air traffic network.
Travel disruptions are mounting across Italy, with Milan Malpensa International Airport reporting a fresh wave of cancellations and delays today. The chaos comes at a critical time, as spring break travel ramps up and passengers flood European airports.
At Malpensa alone, 21 flights have been cancelled and 7 delayed, with EasyJet bearing the brunt—14 flights cancelled (10% of its schedule) and 3 delayed (2%). Ryanair has also been affected, cancelling 7 flights (9%). Additional carriers reporting delays include:
- Dreamjet with 1 delayed flight (50% of its operations today),
- Korean Air with 2 delays (200% delay rate),
- and Qatar Airways with 1 delayed flight (12%).
These localized disruptions are just the tip of the iceberg. Europe’s travel network is under heavy strain as EasyJet pilots and Italian baggage handlers launch a 24-hour strike, triggering widespread operational chaos. The epicenter of this disruption is Italy, where major hubs like Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino, Naples, Catania, and Venice are bracing for further turbulence throughout the day.
The strike, which began at midnight, involves Assohandlers—Italy’s largest ground handling service provider—joining EasyJet pilots in a coordinated walkout. Assohandlers supports carriers including Ryanair and Wizz Air, meaning that the ripple effects of the strike are extending far beyond EasyJet. Severe delays in baggage handling, check-in, and security screening are already impacting passengers across multiple airlines.
EasyJet, one of Europe’s largest low-cost carriers, operates 347 aircraft on 1,099 routes in 35 countries, transporting 27.6 million passengers in the last quarter alone. While the airline has activated contingency plans, including the use of non-striking pilots, the disruption to ground services is expected to result in missed connections, longer layovers, and additional cancellations.
The timing of this industrial action—right in the middle of spring break travel season—is especially damaging. Passenger volume is already high, and with additional delays caused by heavy rainfall, Italian airports are experiencing significant bottlenecks.
Five major airlines are facing fresh disruptions at Italy’s Malpensa Airport, with multiple cancellations and delays caused by an EasyJet strike, ground crew walkouts, and heavy rain—just as spring break travel intensifies across Europe.
Travelers are strongly advised to check their flight status regularly, prepare for longer processing times at the airport, and stay updated through airline communications as the situation develops.
