A technical fault in the data transmission network supporting Italy’s air traffic control services was detected during the night between Thursday and Friday, October 15-16, 2026. ENAV, Italy’s national air navigation service provider, confirmed the fault’s source in the network and implemented flow management measures from 6:00 AM on Friday to maintain operational safety. These measures temporarily reduced aircraft handling capacity in Italian airspace by up to 50%.
Flight Delays and Cancellations at Major Italian Airports
The disruption led to flight delays of up to 60 minutes and cancellations at several key airports. Rome Fiumicino experienced at least four cancelled flights on routes to Milan Linate, Riyadh, Tirana,
and Trieste. Delays and cancellations were also reported at Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Naples Capodichino, and Bergamo airports. To mitigate the impact, ENAV switched to a secondary satellite network during the morning, allowing a gradual restoration of air traffic capacity.
ENAV Rules Out Cyberattacks and Restores Full Capacity
ENAV explicitly ruled out cyberattacks or sabotage as causes of the fault. It confirmed that flight operations remained safe throughout the disruption and that air traffic was managed at normal capacity until 6:00 AM on Friday. The provider said that switching to the backup satellite network enabled incremental capacity increases leading to full restoration later on the same day. Passengers
affected by delays and cancellations were advised to verify the status of their flights with their airlines.
