Over 300 Flights Disrupted as Air Traffic Control System Fails in Northern Italy

According to Italian news agency ANSA, a major air traffic disruption occurred around 9 p.m. local time on June 28 (3 a.m. Beijing time, June 29), when a data transmission failure struck the Milan Area Control Center. The failure affected flights in key cities across northwestern Italy, including Milan, Bergamo, Genoa, and Turin.

For safety reasons, all takeoffs and landings in the affected airspace were suspended, impacting more than 300 flights. Aircraft already in the air were rerouted to alternate destinations, while departures were delayed. About 90 minutes later, the first batch of flights resumed operation.

The failure occurred at the Milan Linate Airport control center, one of four major regional air traffic control hubs managed by Italy’s national air navigation company, Enav. The other centers are located in Padua (Abano Terme), Rome Ciampino, and Brindisi-Casale.

In a public statement, Enav confirmed: “Thanks to the prompt intervention of our technical staff, the data transmission and connectivity issues at the Milan control center have been resolved. Air traffic across northwestern Italy is now gradually returning to normal.”

This incident highlights the critical role of data systems in modern aviation and underscores the importance of infrastructure resilience in air traffic management.