A radar malfunction at Milan's air traffic control center led to the suspension of flights across northwestern Italy for two hours on Saturday evening, according to ENAV, the company responsible for managing Italian airspace.
In a statement released Sunday, ENAV confirmed that all inbound and outbound flights were halted between 8:20 PM and 10:20 PM local time (18:20–20:20 GMT). Air traffic gradually resumed and returned to normal by midnight.
During the disruption, ENAV activated its satellite-based emergency system to safely manage aircraft already airborne. The suspension of subsequent flights followed strict international aviation safety standards.
The company clarified that the issue stemmed from a communication failure in the data link supplying radar information to the operations room. This connection is managed by Telecom Italia, an external service provider. Telecom Italia has yet to respond to requests for comment.
According to Italy’s ANSA news agency, around 320 flights were affected by the radar failure. Authorities at Milan’s airports arranged about 200 temporary beds to accommodate stranded passengers.
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