Italy's airport data network, which supports air traffic control services, was disrupted on Friday morning, causing flight delays and cancellations across the country. The incident was not caused by a cyberattack or sabotage, according to Enav, the Italian government agency responsible for air navigation services.
Network fault halves air traffic capacity
Several flights across many Italian airports were disrupted and cancelled due to faults in the data transmission network, reports Euronews. Enav stated that from 6:00, given the steady increase in air traffic and the persistence of the faults, flow management measures were introduced to continue guaranteeing the highest level of operational safety. These measures mean a temporary reduction in the capacity to handle aircraft in Italian airspace.
The statement ruled out any link between the faults and hacker attacks or sabotage. According to Enav, air traffic management operations are currently running at around half of their normal capacity. The authority explained that the source of the faults has been identified in the data transmission network and that it is working to determine the causes and restore full system operations.
Cancellations and delays at major airports
Despite efforts to resolve the issue, the network outage continues to disrupt operations at airports across Italy. At Rome Fiumicino Airport, at least four flights bound for Milan Linate, Riyadh, Tirana and Trieste have been cancelled, while a number of other services are facing delays of up to an hour.
Similar disruption, including delays and cancellations, has also been reported at Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa and Naples Capodichino airports. Airport authorities have advised travellers to check directly with their airline for the latest updates on their flight status before heading to the airport.
