Airport strikes expected to hit Italy as G-7 summit ends

ROME – Italian air traffic controllers and some Alitalia staff plan to strike for several hours Sunday, with delays and cancellations expected the day after a Group of Seven summit ends in Taormina, Sicily.

The air traffic controllers plan to strike from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (1100 to 1500 GMT) while several unions representing Alitalia employees plan a work stoppage from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (0800 to 1600 GMT).

Carrier Alitalia, which is in a struggle for survival after filing for bankruptcy earlier this month, has cancelled several domestic and international flights for Sunday and rebooked most passengers on alternative flights.

The G-7 meeting in Sicily, where leaders of the world’s largest economies meet Friday and Saturday, includes many supporting staff members and journalists who planned to fly out Sunday.