Airlines for Europe (A4E) said Italian air traffic controllers were preparing to take industrial action on that day, just over a week after five days of action by French ATC staff that led to the cancellation of many flights from the UK.

If the strike in Italy goes ahead, disruption is likely to be less severe than last week, but flights to destinations like Greece and Malta will be affected as well as those heading to and from Italy.

A4E is calling for a ban on strike action by ATC staff without a 72-hour notification. It also wants upper airspace to be free of geographical boundaries, making it easier for flights to continue to destinations throughout Europe and beyond.

A4E claimed that in the 2010-16 period, there were 217 ATC strike days in the EU - one every nine days. It adds: “In total, there were 278 disrupted days if you take into account the days before and after an ATC strike as flights had to be cancelled in advance and accumulated delays spilt over to the next day.”

The association said that last week’s industrial action caused more than 1,500 flight cancellations and saw airlines cut the number of flights across France by 25%. ATC staff said disputes were about working conditions that affect safety, which remains their top priority.