Flight delays and cancellations occurred at multiple Italian airports on Friday morning due to faults detected overnight in the data transmission network supporting air traffic control, according to Enav, Italy’s national air navigation service provider. The airports impacted include Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, and Naples Capodichino.
From 6:00 a.m. on Friday, Enav implemented flow management measures that temporarily reduced the aircraft handling capacity across Italian airspace. These measures were introduced to maintain the highest level of operational safety amid ongoing technical issues combined with an increase in air traffic.
At Rome Fiumicino airport, at least four flights were
cancelled on routes to Milan Linate, Riyadh, Tirana, and Trieste. Some flights across the affected airports experienced delays of up to 60 minutes. Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, and Naples Capodichino airports also reported delays and cancellations as a result of the network fault.
Enav ruled out any connection between the data transmission faults and sabotage or cyberattacks. Despite the faults being identified during the night between Thursday and Friday, air traffic was managed normally without capacity reductions until 6:00 a.m. The service provider is actively investigating the causes of the faults and working to restore full system functionality. Enav advised
passengers at the affected airports to verify their flight status with the respective airlines.
“From 6:00, in view of the steady increase in air traffic and the persistence of the faults, in order to continue guaranteeing the highest level of operational safety, flow management measures have been introduced, which mean a temporary reduction in the capacity to handle aircraft in Italian airspace,” Enav stated.
