Due to a radar failure at the Milan area control centre, flights in the skies of north-western Italy will be diverted until at least 8pm on Sunday, October 20.
This was announced through an official bulletin from "Sea," the airport operating company that manages Malpensa Airport. This will lead to serious delays, or in some cases cancellations, of direct flights not only to varese province airports but also to Turin, Bergamo and Genoa.
The official announcement reads that "the skies of the Milan area control centre are not available until 6pm coordinated universal time due to a radar failure." This is a software glitch that has led to the main control centre systems being blocked. As Corriere della Sera reports, Eurocontrol, the European agency that oversees movements in the continent's airspace, explained that the failure will have consequences on flights across north-western Italy.
Resumption of movements is expected from 24:00 today, but delays can also be recorded on flights scheduled for tomorrow, Monday October 21. Some of the planes that have already departed will divert and land again at Rome Fiumicino. For others, cancellations can also occur.