A technical failure affecting Italy’s air traffic control systems disrupted flights at Brussels Airport on Friday, causing delays of up to two hours and the cancellation of a Brussels Airlines service to Milan.
Brussels Airport had 21 departures to Italy and 21 arrivals from Italian airports scheduled for the day. Around midday, delays ranged from 30 minutes to two hours. The airport said it was monitoring developments with airlines and the relevant authorities, and advised passengers to check their flight status with their carrier.
Italian air navigation service provider ENAV said the fault was detected overnight from Thursday to Friday. A backup system was activated, but its limited capacity required a reduction in traffic. By Friday afternoon, the system was handling approximately half the usual traffic volume.
ENAV ruled out sabotage and said work was continuing to identify the cause and restore full functionality.