November 2026 aviation strikes and the airports facing disruption

November 2026’s aviation strike calendar now includes a French aviation-sector union call for 5 November, alongside formally registered air traffic service notices in Italy and a SATA Handling stoppage covering the first three days of the month in the Azores. In the United Kingdom, the picture is different: industrial action at Leeds Bradford Airport has been suspended for renewed talks, while Loganair cabin crew are still voting on whether to strike. This guide separates scheduled stoppages from unresolved disputes, so that an announcement is not mistaken for an actual flight cancellation.

November 2026 aviation strikes at a glance

All times are local. Notices and union calls are not evidence of confirmed flight cancellations.

Italy, air traffic control becomes the main concern

Italy has published a precise sequence of aviation-sector labour notices. The transport ministry’s official strike register, checked on 21 October, records two separate four-hour ENAV notices for Friday 6 November, from 13:00 to 17:00. One covers personnel serving Bari Airport, called by RSA FAST-CONFSAL-AV; the other is a nationwide ENAV notice called by FILT-CGIL and UGL-TA. ENAV provides air navigation services, so industrial action involving its staff matters to airlines’ ability to keep movements running to schedule, even though the existence of a notice does not establish any individual cancellation.

Another nationwide ENAV notice follows on Saturday 21 November, when FILT-CGIL and UGL-TA have announced a nationwide four-hour ENAV action between 13:00 and 17:00. Its national scope makes it more consequential than a dispute at a single airport, but actual effects will depend on participation, minimum services and operational arrangements. Airlines have not supplied a confirmed nationwide cancellation tally for this future action.

Two separate airport-related actions follow on Sunday 22 November. At Milan Malpensa, ENAV staff have a 24-hour notice from 00:01 to midnight, called by RSA FAST-CONFSAL-AV; the official register specifies that flights to and from Bari are guaranteed under this notice. At Venice Marco Polo, a 24-hour stoppage from 00:00 to 23:59 involves Sicuritalia IVRI personnel, with FISASCAT-CISL calling the action. Venice therefore involves airport service personnel rather than a second nationwide air traffic control strike.

Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC sets out minimum-service arrangements including protected flying periods from 07:00 to 10:00 and 18:00 to 21:00, subject to the specific rules governing each service and the flights concerned. Travellers should consult the airline and any published guaranteed-flight lists rather than assume a service is safe or cancelled merely because of its departure time.

The official register also lists a general strike for 20 November, called by CGIL. A nationwide labour call may encompass numerous sectors, but it is not, by itself, proof that aviation staff will stop working or that flights will be cancelled. It should be tracked separately from the aviation-specific notices on 6, 21 and 22 November.

Portugal, SATA ground handling action carries into November

In the Azores, the first three days of November fall within an existing SATA Handling strike notice. The SITAVA and SINTAC unions called daily stoppages from 21 October through 3 November, initially from 07:30 to 10:30 and then, for the period 28 October to 3 November, from 16:00 to 19:00. All times are local to the islands. Ground handlers support aircraft turnaround, boarding and other airport services; their absence can affect inter-island journeys as well as connecting flights.

SATA Group has introduced contingency arrangements for SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines. In its updated guidance to travel agents, the group extended its rebooking flexibility to reservations including flights between 21 October and 3 November, whatever the scheduled time of departure. Eligible changes can be made, subject to its conditions, to services operating from 18 October to 10 November without a penalty or fare difference.

This policy is an opportunity to change a booking, not evidence that the original flight has been cancelled. It is important not to confuse voluntary changes under a commercial waiver with the statutory rights that arise after an actual cancellation. The Azores switch to UTC−1 on 25 October; the published afternoon stoppage hours remain unchanged in local time. Passengers should check flight status, use online check-in where available and follow the airline’s advice on baggage and airport arrival.

United Kingdom, the Leeds Bradford dispute is paused and Loganair’s ballot remains open

The proposed strike at Leeds Bradford Airport had threatened to run from 23 October through 2 November, involving over 130 Unite members including air traffic controllers and passenger assistance staff. That schedule is no longer an active strike plan. On 19 October, after employees rejected revised pay offers, Unite confirmed that industrial action had been suspended to allow renewed negotiations supported by conciliation service Acas. The dispute remains unresolved and Unite has said that action could be announced again if talks fail. But the suspended dates of 1 and 2 November must not be described as confirmed days of airport closure.

Loganair is at an earlier stage. According to Unite’s announcement, more than 60 cabin crew members are voting on potential action in a pay dispute. Staff involved are based in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, the Isle of Man and Southampton. The ballot began on 8 October and closes on 27 October. The result, and any subsequent notices, will determine whether a genuine November travel warning is justified. A ballot is not itself a strike.

France, aviation workers urged to join the 5 November strike

The Thursday 5 November 2026 mobilisation has an explicit aviation-sector dimension through a call from SUD Aérien Solidaires. In a statement issued on 19 October, SUD Aérien Solidaires called on aviation workers to join the strike, highlighting pay, staffing levels and working conditions across airports. Its appeal refers to ground handling, security, maintenance, cleaning and subcontracted services, where stoppages could affect airport operations depending on participation.

The broader movement is also backed by formal public-sector notices. CFDT’s public-service federation filed a 24-hour notice for 5 November covering workers in the three branches of the French public service. Separately, CGT’s central government workers’ federation filed a notice spanning 1 November to 31 December and has urged members to take part on 5 November.

These developments justify placing France on the aviation watchlist, but they do not establish how many aviation employees will walk out, whether air traffic controllers will take part or which flights, if any, will be cancelled. An industry union’s strike call is not the same thing as a confirmed operational disruption. The next useful evidence will come from sector-specific unions, airlines and France’s civil aviation authority, whose operational announcements will show whether any flight capacity must be reduced.

What happens if a flight is cancelled or delayed?

Where EU Regulation 261/2004 applies, a cancelled service generally gives passengers a choice of reimbursement or rerouting and a right to care while waiting. Whether fixed compensation is payable is a separate question, depending on the notice given and the circumstances. As the European Commission’s passenger-rights guidance explains, a strike by an airline’s own staff is generally not an extraordinary circumstance, whereas an action by independent air traffic or airport workers may qualify. For eligible UK journeys, the UK passenger-rights framework should also be checked.

This calendar reflects announcements verified as of 21 October 2026 and will be updated as strike notices, agreements and operational decisions change. It is not a list of flights already cancelled for November. As each date approaches, the operating airline’s notice for the individual flight remains decisive. Further guidance is available in AeroSillage’s EU passenger-rights guide and its air traffic control strike advice.