ENAV announced in the early hours that a fault in the nationwide data transmission network had crippled air‑traffic control, leaving 192 flights cancelled across Italy on Friday.
The outage, which authorities say is not the result of malicious activity, prompted ENAV to impose temporary restrictions on air‑traffic capacity. Cirium data released at 1000 GMT showed only 31% of flights left Italian airports on schedule, with Milan‑Malpensa down to 25% and Rome‑Fiumicino at 28%.
To mitigate the ripple effect, ENAV activated a backup satellite network that restored 75% of airports’ operational capacity. However, the primary data link remains incomplete as ENAV works with suppliers to return full functionality.
Rome’s airport operator, ADR, warned passengers that delays and cancellations would persist, while Milan’s SEA added that a 24‑hour cabin‑crew strike at EasyJet could add further chaos.
Airlines are urging travellers to contact them directly for rebooking, and aviation analysts suggest the incident could trigger a review of Italy’s critical data infrastructure and operational resilience.