Italy cuts air traffic in half amid data transmission issue

Air travelers across Italy faced delays and cancellations on Friday because of a problem with the country's air traffic control systems.

The ENAV air traffic control authority ruled out foul play such as a cyberattack, and said it was forced to introduce temporary restrictions of the volume of flights after identifying a data transmission problem.

Major aiports in cities like Rome and Milan warned of likely disruptions and advised passengers to check with their airlines.

What did authorities say about the problem?

ENAV said it first identified the issue overnight. It was forced to restrict the volume of flights at around 6 a.m. (0400 GMT/UTC) as the number of scheduled services increased.

"We would like to inform you that this morning we guaranteed the greatest possible number of departures, including intercontinental flights," ENAV said.

Shorter-distance services were more likely to be interrupted.

"Despite the anomalies encountered on the data transmission network, we are deploying all avaialable resources to minimize disruption and restore full operations as soon as possible," ENAV said. "We confirm an operational capacity of 50% of total air traffic, ensuring maximum safety at all times, which remains the Company's top priority."

ENAV said it had ruled out the possibility of the disturbance being caused by "malicious acts."

Rome airports operator ADR warned passengers that "flight delays and cancellations may occur" and advised passengers to contact their airline if uncertain. Milan airports company SEA issued a similar notice.