Originally scheduled to last 24 hours, the strike lasted from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm after the Italian government ordered unions to shorten their industrial action.
Alitalia had cancelled 139 flights by Tuesday morning, while EasyJet, Air Italy, AlbaStar, Blue Air, Volotea and Ernest Airlines also predicted delays and cancellations.
Most of the flights affected were domestic or short-distance to other European locations, but some Alitalia flights to New York, Tokyo and Casablanca were also disrupted.
Italy’s transport ministry last week demanded that the strike be reduced from 24 hours to four “in order to avoid serious and irreparable damage to the constitutionally guaranteed right of free movement”.
Passengers who were affected by the strike are entitled to change their ticket without charge or request a full refund.
