10 Malta-Italy flights disrupted by air traffic control failures

Air traffic control disruptions in Italy affected 10 flights between Malta and Italy on Friday after technical anomalies were detected in the country's air navigation network.

Italy's air navigation agency, ENAV, said the anomalies were detected overnight in the data transmission network supporting air traffic control services across the country.

The agency ruled out malicious activity, including cyberattacks, as a possible cause but said it was still working to identify the source of the disruptions and restore its systems to full functionality.

The disruptions resulted in widespread delays and cancellations, while the Malta International Airport reportedly remained without an official explanation for the affected flights.

Among those affected were Ryanair services to and from Milan Bergamo and Bologna, as well as inbound flights from Venice Treviso and Turin.

Wizz Air flights to and from Rome Fiumicino were cancelled, while KM Malta Airlines services arriving from the same airport and departing for Milan Linate were also affected.

Rome's airport website warned passengers of delays and cancellations, while flights at Milan's airports experienced delays ranging from 30 minutes to more than two hours. Several services were cancelled altogether.

ENAV said it had activated alternative data transmission systems to facilitate as many departures as possible, including intercontinental flights, while operating at 50% of its overall air traffic capacity.

According to the agency, contingency systems had allowed air traffic to operate normally until 6am. However, as traffic volumes increased and the technical problems persisted, measures were introduced to regulate flight flows and reduce the number of aircraft in operation.