Travelers heading in and out of Italy are facing fresh disruption as a cluster of cancellations and delays involving Vueling, Singapore Airlines, and Swiss has hit key airports in Rome, Milan, and Naples. Six flights operated or codeshared by these carriers have been canceled over the last 24 hours, while a wider pattern of delays is rippling across Italy’s busiest hubs, complicating plans at the height of the winter travel season.
What Happened: A Snapshot of the Disruptions
The latest wave of disruption unfolded between February 12 and 13, 2026, as operational issues, congested European airspace, and knock-on delays converged to create a challenging 48-hour window for air travel in and out of Italy. At least six flights linked to Vueling, Singapore Airlines, and Swiss were canceled outright, while additional services suffered significant delays, especially on routes connecting Milan and Rome with major European cities.
In Milan, the most visible problems centered on Malpensa Airport, where Vueling recorded cancellations on its Milan to Barcelona services after a day marked by repeated late departures on the same route. Flight tracking data showed a pattern of more than hour-long delays on February 12 followed by cancellations on associated departures, leaving passengers scrambling for rebooking options and overnight accommodation.
Rome Fiumicino, Italy’s busiest international hub, also reported delays involving long haul and European connections, including flights operated under codeshares with Singapore Airlines and Swiss. While not all affected services bore those carrier logos on departure boards, passengers on partner airlines with shared flight numbers encountered missed connections and forced rerouting through other European hubs.
In Naples, where traffic volumes are smaller than in Rome or Milan but where runway capacity is more constrained, even a handful of delayed or canceled flights created bottlenecks across the daily schedule. Travelers reported extended waits at gates and busy customer service counters as airline teams attempted to consolidate passengers onto later services or redirect them via Rome and Milan.
Rome Fiumicino: Italy’s Main Gateway Feels the Strain
Rome Fiumicino has been under steady pressure this winter, with a series of weather-related disruptions, staffing strains, and wider European congestion all playing a role in complicating operations. The latest cancellations involving Singapore Airlines and Swiss affected routes that rely heavily on tight connection windows, amplifying the impact well beyond a single aircraft or time slot.
Singapore Airlines, which serves Rome as part of its broader European network, has recently been operating through a period of schedule adjustments due to airspace closures and seasonal demand shifts. When a Rome-linked segment is delayed or canceled, onward passengers to Asia or connecting travelers from other European gateways can quickly find their entire journey thrown off course, forcing the airline and its partners to juggle rebookings on later services.
Swiss, with its hub in Zurich, also relies on Rome as a feeder market, particularly for business and long haul connecting traffic. A canceled or severely delayed Rome Zurich flight can cause multiple missed onward connections, from North America to the Middle East and Asia. As a result, even a single cancellation at Fiumicino translates into a much wider web of disrupted itineraries, reissuance of tickets, and renewed searches for scarce available seats later the same day.
Passengers at Fiumicino reported longer than usual lines at transfer and ticket desks as airline staff tried to prioritize those with the tightest onward schedules. For many, the outcome was an unplanned overnight stay in Rome and a continuation of their trip the following morning or afternoon, depending on available inventory.
Milan Malpensa and Linate: Vueling’s Cancellations Echo Across Northern Italy
Northern Italy’s main air gateways, Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate, have also been dealing with persistent pressure. In Malpensa’s case, a combination of slot congestion, winter weather across Europe, and recurrent delays on popular short haul routes has created a fragile operating environment where a disruption on one departure can quickly cascade into wider schedule instability.
Vueling’s Milan to Barcelona flights illustrate this pattern. On February 12, a key flight from Malpensa to Barcelona ran more than an hour late, landing well after its scheduled arrival time in Spain. The aircraft’s tight turnaround and follow on duties meant that crew rest rules and operational constraints limited flexibility to recover the schedule, leading to subsequent cancellations on related services and a reshuffling of passengers to later flights.
For travelers, the immediate consequence was a sudden loss of capacity on a heavily used city pair, with Vueling’s canceled departure joining a broader list of delayed and rescheduled flights across Malpensa. Many passengers bound for onward connections through Barcelona were forced to consider overnight stays or rebookings via alternative hubs such as Rome, Zurich, or Paris, sometimes on different airlines altogether.
At Milano Linate, where operations are more focused on domestic and short haul European traffic, the knock on effects were felt primarily through delays rather than outright cancellations. Aircraft and crews repositioning from Malpensa, as well as shared handling resources and air traffic control restrictions, meant that some Linate departures to other Italian cities left later than planned, stretching already tight business travel schedules.
Naples: Smaller Airport, Outsized Impact
While Rome and Milan tend to draw the headlines, Naples Capodichino Airport has quietly faced its own share of disruption. The latest wave of delays and cancellations has highlighted how even a modest number of affected flights can have an outsized impact when runway and gate capacity are limited and schedule buffers are thin.
Several European carriers serving Naples, including partner airlines of Swiss and codeshare counterparts of Singapore Airlines, reported delays rippling through their afternoon and evening schedules. With fewer alternative departures compared with Rome or Milan, passengers at Naples often had less immediate flexibility, particularly those attempting to connect through another European city on the same day.
Families returning from holidays along the Amalfi Coast and business travelers commuting between southern Italy and major European capitals faced extended waits and uncertain arrival times. Customer service teams at the airport worked to identify spare seats on later flights, but in some cases, travelers were redirected to Rome by rail or bus to catch replacement flights departing from Fiumicino the next morning.
The experience in Naples underlines a broader reality of Italian air travel in peak or stressed periods. When operations are smooth, Italy’s patchwork of regional and national airports offers flexibility and choice. When delays and cancellations arrive in clusters, however, smaller airports can quickly become chokepoints with limited contingency options.
Behind the Disruptions: Congested Skies and Tight Schedules
While each cancellation or delay has its own immediate trigger, the underlying forces behind the current wave of setbacks are more systemic. Europe’s air traffic system remains highly sensitive to pockets of congestion and local disruptions, whether caused by weather, industrial action, or airspace restrictions tied to events and military activity.
In the case of Singapore Airlines, the carrier has recently had to adapt its schedules to accommodate temporary airspace closures linked to major events in Asia. Adjustments to long haul services inevitably ripple through partner networks and codeshare routes, affecting timings and connection windows in Europe, including Italy. When those adjustments coincide with local constraints in Rome or Milan, the margin for absorbing delays shrinks sharply.
Vueling and Swiss, both heavily exposed to Europe’s tight short haul networks, operate aircraft and crews on complex rotations that string multiple flights together each day. A delay early in the sequence, such as a late departure from Milan to Barcelona or Zurich, can reverberate across several subsequent legs. Once the delay grows large enough, airlines may decide that canceling one flight and consolidating passengers onto others is the only realistic way to restore some schedule stability.
All three airlines are also operating in an environment where staffing and resources, from ground handling to cabin crew, remain finely balanced after years of fluctuating demand. Sudden spikes in illness, absenteeism, or technical issues can tip that balance, leading to the kind of localized disruptions now being felt in Italy’s major airports.
What Travelers Are Experiencing on the Ground
For passengers, the numbers and operational explanations translate into one tangible reality, uncertainty. Many affected travelers in Rome, Milan, and Naples have reported receiving short notice messages about cancellations or delays, sometimes only upon arrival at the airport or during check in. With flights frequently close to fully booked in the winter peak, especially on Fridays and Sundays, options to simply switch to the next departure are often limited.
At Malpensa and Fiumicino, long queues have formed at airline service counters and self service kiosks as passengers attempt to rebook, seek compensation where applicable, and secure hotel vouchers. Those traveling with children or on tight business schedules have been particularly frustrated, facing the prospect of missed meetings, lost nights of accommodation at their destination, or curtailed holidays.
In Naples, where facilities and staffing levels are smaller, airline and airport teams have been stretched to provide real time updates across multiple channels. Some travelers have turned to third party flight tracking apps and travel providers to confirm changing departure times, while others have opted to proactively reroute themselves by purchasing new tickets on rival carriers when their original flights were canceled.
Despite the challenges, airlines have emphasized that safety and regulatory compliance remain paramount. Flight and cabin crew rest requirements, along with maintenance standards, mean that when schedules become too tight, cancellation can be the only viable option. However, for affected passengers, those explanations often bring little comfort in the face of disrupted plans and additional expenses.
Practical Advice for Navigating Italy’s Current Flight Disruptions
For travelers with upcoming itineraries involving Rome, Milan, or Naples in the coming days, a proactive approach can significantly reduce stress. The first and most important step is to monitor flight status closely starting 24 hours before departure. Airline mobile apps and SMS or email alerts remain the most direct channels for receiving changes, but it is wise to cross check with airport departure boards and independent real time trackers when possible.
Travelers should also build extra buffer time into their itineraries, particularly if they are connecting through another hub in Europe or Asia. Booking tight connections, such as an hour or less between flights in Rome, Zurich, Barcelona, or Singapore, carries higher risk during periods of heightened disruption. When feasible, choosing longer layovers can provide a cushion that absorbs moderate delays without forcing overnight stays or missed onward flights.
Those already on the road should keep essential items, including medications, chargers, and a change of clothing, in their carry on bag rather than checked luggage. In the event of an unplanned overnight stay due to a cancellation, having these basics at hand can make a significant difference to comfort and flexibility, especially if checked bags are held in the airport system until the next available flight.
Finally, passengers should familiarize themselves in advance with airline policies on rebooking, refunds, and compensation. While entitlement varies depending on the cause of disruption and the specific route, knowing what to ask for at the counter or via customer service can speed up resolution. In many cases, online tools and chat functions now allow travelers to rebook themselves more quickly than waiting in airport lines.
Looking Ahead: What This Means for Travel to and from Italy
The cluster of cancellations and delays involving Vueling, Singapore Airlines, and Swiss is another reminder of how interconnected modern air travel has become. A late departure on a regional European route or an airspace restriction thousands of kilometers away can set off a chain reaction that ultimately strands passengers at gates in Rome, Milan, or Naples.
Industry analysts expect that as airlines continue to fine tune schedules for the remainder of the winter and the upcoming summer season, some of the current pressure points will ease. Additional frequencies on key routes, more resilient crew planning, and better integration of real time data into operations can all help reduce the risk of cascading delays. However, given the complexity of European airspace and the lingering effects of past disruptions, travelers should continue to expect occasional turbulence in flight operations.
For Italy itself, the latest setbacks are a short term blemish on an otherwise strong travel story. Demand for both leisure and business trips to the country remains robust, with Rome, Milan, and Naples all reporting healthy booking trends into the spring. The challenge for airlines and airports will be to convert that demand into smooth, predictable journeys in the months ahead.
In the meantime, anyone planning to pass through Italy’s major airports would be wise to stay flexible, stay informed, and build a little extra time into their plans. In an era of crowded skies and tightly packed schedules, those who give themselves some breathing room stand the best chance of reaching their destination with only a story or two to tell rather than a full blown travel ordeal.