Flight Delayed in Italy? EU261 Rights at Rome, Milan, Venice and Catania
Italy has many busy airports and a well-organized system for air transport strikes, which are announced in advance. If your flight in Italy is delayed or cancelled, EU261 sets what the airline must do, and Italy offers two different complaint routes depending on what you want.
Main airports and airlines in Italy
Rome Fiumicino (FCO) is the hub of ITA Airways. Other key airports are Rome Ciampino (CIA), Milan Malpensa (MXP), Milan Linate (LIN), Bergamo (BGY), Venice (VCE), Naples (NAP), Bologna (BLQ), Catania (CTA) and Palermo (PMO). Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, Neos and Aeroitalia all fly widely from Italy.
When EU261 applies to flights in Italy
Whether EU261 covers you depends on where you departed and who flew you. It generally applies when:
- You depart from an airport in Italy, on any airline. That covers, for example, a US airline flying Rome to New York.
- You fly into Italy from outside the EU on an airline licensed in the EU. An ITA Airways flight from New York into Rome is covered.
Sicily and Sardinia are part of Italy, so domestic island flights are covered too.
Delays: care, re-routing and refunds
Waiting triggers the airline's duty of care: meals and refreshments, two calls or emails, and a hotel plus transport if you must stay overnight. It applies after 2 hours for flights of 1,500 km or less (Rome to Milan, about 470 km), 3 hours for flights within the EU over 1,500 km and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km (Milan to Lisbon, about 1,650 km), and 4 hours for longer flights (Rome to New York, about 6,870 km). Once a delay hits 5 hours, you can drop the flight and ask for a refund. A cancelled flight gives you the choice of a refund or re-routing, now or later.
The fixed amounts in the regulation
For arrival delays of 3 hours or more, short-notice cancellations (under 14 days) and denied boarding, the regulation sets €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less, €400 for longer flights within the EU and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 for other flights over 3,500 km, which can be halved in some cases if you arrive within 4 hours of schedule. These are what the regulation sets, not a promise.
Extraordinary circumstances and local disruptions
The main exception is extraordinary circumstances: unsafe weather, ATC restrictions and strikes, security incidents and similar events outside the airline's control. Routine defects and strikes by the airline's own crew have generally not been accepted by the EU Court of Justice. The duty of care continues regardless. During Italian air transport strikes, flights scheduled to depart between 07:00 and 10:00 and between 18:00 and 21:00 must operate, and ENAC publishes a list of protected flights for each strike. Volcanic activity at Mount Etna can also limit operations at Catania. Volcanic ash is typically extraordinary; a strike by the airline's own staff generally is not.
Where to complain in Italy
Write to the airline first and keep a copy. If that does not resolve it, contact the national enforcement body in the country where the problem happened. Italy's national enforcement body is ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile), Air Passenger Rights Directorate, in Rome. ENAC complaints go through carta-diritti.enac.gov.it; they are used for enforcement and sanctions, not to obtain a refund or other payment. For an individual dispute, Italy's Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) runs the ConciliaWeb dispute settlement service: autorita-trasporti.it.
Coming in 2027: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amends EU261. Most changes apply from 23 October 2027, including a general nine-month deadline for compensation requests. Until then, the current rules above apply.
FAQ
Are flights cancelled during an Italian strike covered? The airline must offer a refund or re-routing and provide care. Whether the fixed amounts apply depends on whose staff were striking.
What is the difference between ENAC and ART? ENAC enforces the regulation and can sanction airlines. ART's ConciliaWeb is for resolving your individual dispute with the airline.
Is Catania covered when Etna erupts? EU261 still applies. Ash closures are typically extraordinary, so care and re-routing or a refund remain, but the fixed amounts usually do not.
Related guides
- EU261 guide (en español)
- Flight cancelled: your options
- Missed connection guide
- All Europe flight delay guides
Create your letter
Delay Draft writes a clear letter you send to the airline yourself ($9.99 for 1 to 2 travelers, $24.99 for 3 to 6). We are not a law firm and do not file claims for you. Questions: claims@delaydraft.com.