Travellers flying to and from Italy faced disruption on Friday 16 October after a technical fault affected the data network supporting air traffic control services nationwide.
Aeroporti di Roma warned that flight delays and cancellations could occur and advised passengers to check their flight status directly with their airline. Milan airport operator SEA issued a similar notice, according to Reuters.
Air traffic capacity reduced from 06:00
Italy’s air navigation service provider, ENAV, said the network problems emerged overnight. Contingency systems initially allowed flights to be managed without any reduction in operating capacity.
With the fault still unresolved and traffic increasing, ENAV introduced flow restrictions from 06:00 local time on Friday. The measures temporarily reduced the number of aircraft that could be handled in Italian airspace to maintain safe operations, according to its statement reported by Alliance News.
The disruption concerns infrastructure used to support air traffic control across the country, extending its potential impact beyond individual airports.
ENAV rules out malicious activity
ENAV said technical checks had traced the problem to its data transmission network. Engineers were investigating the cause and working to restore full service.
The company ruled out malicious activity as the source of the fault, according to ANSA. Its Friday morning statement did not give a timetable for restoring normal capacity.
What passengers should do
Aeroporti di Roma’s advice is to contact the airline operating the flight for the latest information. Passengers travelling on Friday should check their booking and flight status before setting off and continue monitoring airline notifications for schedule changes.
Those with onward connections should also contact their carrier if a delay could affect the next leg of their journey.
The morning updates did not provide a nationwide total of affected flights. The warnings indicate a risk of delays and cancellations; passengers should check their individual service rather than assume all flights have been suspended.
