Technical fault disrupts air traffic over Italy for hours
A data network fault at Italy's air navigation service, ENAV, has reduced flight capacity across the country since 06:00 local time, officials say.
A fault in the data transmission network used by Italy's air navigation service disrupted air traffic across the country for several hours, the agency, ENAV, said. Flow-control measures have been in place since 06:00 local time, reducing the number of aircraft handled in Italian airspace.
The disruption affects flights taking off and landing in Italy as well as aircraft flying over the country, ENAV said in Rome. The agency said in a statement that it had ruled out a hacking attack or sabotage as a cause.
ENAV is responsible for air traffic control and safety across Italian airspace, including major airports such as Rome and Milan. It handles about two million flights a year.
Follow this story
An email when there is a real update (a new toll, a cause, an arrest). Nothing else; stop with one click.
Free: one story at a time. Members follow as many stories as they like.
What we know
- Official · ENAV A fault in ENAV's data transmission network has disrupted Italian air traffic since 06:00 local time, the agency said.
- 2+ outlets · Stern, Tagesspiegel The disruption affects flights to, from and over Italy.
- Official · ENAV ENAV said it had ruled out a hacking attack or sabotage.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed The cause of the network fault.
- Unconfirmed How many flights have been delayed or cancelled.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
ENAV controls one of Europe's busiest airspaces, handling about two million flights a year through major hubs including Rome and Milan. A prolonged fault in its network can ripple into delays across European air travel, given how many flights cross Italian airspace rather than start or end there.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 1 countries.
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 2 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Free during the launch: create an account →Log inHow we rate sources
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Launch offer: free for members until 31 October 2026
Questions and answers
- What caused the disruption?
- A fault in the data transmission network of Italy's air navigation service, ENAV, which said it was not the result of hacking or sabotage.
- Since when has air traffic been affected?
- Flow-control measures have been in place since 06:00 local time, ENAV said.
- Which flights are affected?
- Flights taking off and landing in Italy, as well as aircraft flying over the country.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
