Major air traffic disruption in Italy causes widespread European flight delays

On Friday morning, October 16, 2026, a major technical failure in Italy's air traffic control data transmission network caused widespread aviation disruptions. The issue was detected by the Italian control agency Enav during the night. Although backup systems were initially used, the surge in morning traffic necessitated strict capacity restrictions starting at 06:00 local time. This has effectively reduced the system's aircraft handling capacity by approximately 50%, resulting in flight cancellations and delays of up to four hours at airports including Rome-Fiumicino and Trieste.

These technical difficulties have triggered a chain reaction across Europe, affecting both flights to and from Italy and those transiting through Italian airspace. While major delays are expected at Greek airports, Hermes Airports in Cyprus reported that no disruptions have affected their flight operations thus far. Airlines are advising passengers to check for status updates as no clear timeline for full system restoration has been provided by the authorities. The Italian authorities and Eurocontrol continue to manage the limited airspace, with the situation remaining fluid as technical teams work to resolve the underlying data failure.