A malfunction in the radar transmission system at the Area Control Center in Milan suspended more than 300 flights at the weekend, across northwest Italy since Saturday evening according to Italy's air traffic controller Enav (National Agency for Flight Assistance).

The incident occurred at around 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), causing flight suspensions or severe restrictions on take-offs and landings at airports within the affected airspace.

Airports impacted included Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Bergamo Orio al Serio, Genoa Cristoforo Colombo and Turin Caselle.

The disruption affected both domestic and international flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or facing long delays. Airlines advised travellers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport as technicians continued efforts to resolve the issue overnight.

Enav activated an emergency satellite system to ensure the safe management of flights that were already in the air at the time of the incident, before halting new air traffic in the area in line with international safety standards.

"The problem affected the connectivity that allows radar data to flow to the operations room, which is provided by an external telecommunications supplier, namely TIM," Enav said, referring to Telecom Italia.

In a statement, TIM said it was not involved in the incident and that radar operations depend on multiple systems managed by different operators. It also expressed confidence that ongoing investigations will clarify responsibilities.

The Area Control Center in Milan is one of four regional control centres operated by ENAV, including Rome, Padua, and Brindisi, covering a large portion of northern Italy’s airspace and serving as a critical hub for flights transiting through Italian skies.

Capacity was gradually restored until returning to normal by midnight. 

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