Air travelers in Italy faced delays and cancellations on Friday due to a problem with air traffic control systems. ENAV officials, the air traffic control agency of Italy, confirmed that this issue was caused by a disruption in data transfer and there are no signs of a cyber attack.
Details of the Air Traffic System Issue
ENAV reported that it identified the disruption in the early hours of the morning and immediately took action to limit the volume of flights. These restrictions were implemented from 6 AM local time (0400 GMT/UTC), while the number of scheduled flights was increasing. According to ENAV, the agency has been able to maintain the maximum number of flights, including international flights, under critical conditions.
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Consequences for Travelers
Officials at major airports in Rome and Milan warned travelers that there is a possibility of delays and cancellations and urged them to contact their airlines. ENAV also emphasized that currently only 50% of air traffic capacity is operational and safety is a priority.
This disruption in the data transfer network means that short-haul flight services are more likely to experience cancellations and delays. ENAV has stated that it will deploy all available resources to reduce disruptions and restore operations to normal.
Additionally, officials at Rome (ADR) and Milan (SEA) airports issued similar warnings and urged travelers to communicate with their airlines if uncertain.
In conclusion, ENAV stressed that there is no reason to assume malicious actions and that this disruption was due to technical problems. Therefore, it is expected that the situation will return to normal soon.
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