Radar Malfunction Grounds Flights in Northwestern Italy

A radar malfunction in Milan caused significant flight disruptions on Saturday, resulting in the suspension of air travel in northwestern Italy, according to Enav, Italy's air traffic controller. The issue originated from a connectivity problem with an external telecommunications supplier.

Between 8:20 p.m. and 10:20 p.m. local time, new departures and entries into the affected airspace were halted. Enav activated an emergency satellite system to assure the safe management of ongoing flights during the incident, restoring operations to normal by midnight.

Telecom Italia, referred to by Enav as the connectivity provider, stated that it was not directly involved in the malfunction and highlighted that radar operations are supported by multiple systems under different management. Italian agency Ansa reported about 320 flight disruptions, with provisions like 200 camp beds arranged for disrupted passengers at Milan's airports.

(With inputs from agencies.)