Serious disruptions to air travel have been reported since Friday morning (10/16) throughout Italy, due to a failure in the data transmission network that supports air traffic control systems.
The malfunction has reduced the capacity to manage aircraft by approximately 50%, causing flight cancellations and delays of up to four hours at some airports.
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According to the Italian air traffic control agency Enav, the network malfunctions were detected overnight. Initially, air traffic continued to operate using backup systems; however, the increase in traffic during the morning hours made it necessary to implement restrictive measures.
Starting at 6:00 a.m., the relevant authorities began regulating air traffic flows, temporarily limiting the number of aircraft that can be accommodated in Italian airspace.
ENAV clarified that the measures were taken to ensure flight safety, while assuring that there are no indications of a cyberattack or sabotage.
Cancellations and Delays at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport
At Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, one of the country’s largest, cancellations and delays have already been reported for several flights.
According to the information available so far, four flights to Milan-Linate, Riyadh, Tirana, and Trieste have been canceled, while approximately 20 flights are experiencing delays ranging from 15 to 60 minutes.
Passengers are advised to contact their airlines to confirm the status of their flights.
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Delays of more than two hours at Malpensa and Linate
The impact is also significant at airports in Lombardy, where the air traffic control system malfunction has affected both departures and arrivals.
At Milan’s Malpensa Airport, departure delays range from 30 minutes to more than two hours, while arrivals are experiencing minor disruptions.
At Linate, delays for arriving flights are up to one hour, while some departures are delayed beyond that time.
Problems are also being reported at Bergamo’s Orio al Serio Airport. A Ryanair flight bound for Trapani, scheduled for 6:50 a.m., departed one and a half hours late, while another flight by the same airline to Berlin was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, a Volotea flight from Olbia, which was expected at 7:45 a.m., was rescheduled to arrive at 11:18 a.m.
Airport authorities warn that the disruptions may also affect other flights throughout the day.
Problems at Trieste Airport as Well
The impact of the malfunction has also spread to Trieste Airport, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.
A flight from Fiumicino, which was scheduled to arrive in the morning and then depart again, was canceled, while a flight from Trieste to Milan-Linate was delayed by several hours.
Source: protothema.gr
