The weekend of 28-29 June 2025 represented a nightmare for thousands of travelers from the Italian Northwest. A malfunction of the radar system of the ENAV control center He paralyzed six strategic airports, from Malpensa to Orio al Serio, from Linate to Turin Caselle, to Pisa and Modena. The balance is heavy: 320 flights involved between cancellations and hijacations, with consequences that have lasted for hours.
The scope of the disservice
The origin of the chaos was identified in the failure of the data transmission system of the Milan area control center. The technical problem has had immediate repercussions on all the airway traffic in the Northwest, forcing airlines to suspend take -off and landing in one of the busiest areas in Italy. The situation gradually returned to normal on the morning of Sunday 29 June, but the inconveniences involved thousands of passengers who found themselves blocked at the airports or had to completely reorganize their travel plans.
Which are guaranteed by the European legislation
Passengers involved in the Blackout can refer to the EC regulation 261/2004, which clearly establishes travelers’ rights in the event of prolonged cancellations or delays. Even when it comes to exceptional circumstances such as technical failure to radar systems, the European legislation still guarantees specific forms of protection. Airlines are required to provide immediate assistance in the form of meals and drinks Proportional to the duration of waiting, hotel accommodation if overnight stays, transfers to and from the reception structures and the possibility of making telephone or digital communications are required.
The options for affected travelers
When a flight is deleted, passengers have the right to choose between three very specific alternatives. The first option provides the complete reimbursement of the ticket, possibly included the one for the return flight in the case of trips with a stopover. The second possibility consists in reprinting on a new flight to the original destination as soon as available. Finally, travelers can opt for a restart on a later date, more suitable for their personal needs. These choices remain valid even when the disservice does not depend directly on the airline, as in the specific case of the radar malfunction.
Reimbursement of expenses incurred
A fundamental aspect concerns the coverage of expenses anticipated by passengers. When the planned assistance is not provided promptly, travelers who have had to bear their own costs for meals, accommodation, transport or other needs have the right to full refund. Airlines are obliged to return any item of spending item that are reasonable and demonstrable, for this reason it is essential to keep all receipts and receipts. In the event that the carrier cannot offer valid alternatives, passengers can contact other airlines and demand the return of the costs incurred, or use alternative means such as buses and trains to reach the destination.
The absence of pecuniary compensation
The sore point for passengers concerns the absence of additional economic compensation. When an external technical failure sends the radar system by tilt, a direct responsibility of the airline is not configured but rather an event of force majeure. In these cases, the European regulation requires companies to provide assistance and cover the living expenses incurred by passengers, but does not recognize any pecuniary compensation up to 600 euros which instead would be up to the case of disservices attributable to the carrier. Only when the dysfunction is internal to the company, as in the case of staff strikes or organizational problems, passengers can make requests for real economic compensation.
The reactions of consumer associations
Codacons has announced the presentation of a complaint to the Milan prosecutor to ascertain whether what happened can configure a public service interruption. The association defined the episode as “very serious”, underlining how the disservice is even more serious because it happened in the summer, when departures for holidays and pleasure trips increase. In fact, many passengers were starting to reach holiday resorts, thus suffering additional economic and moral damage.
Criticisms on system management
Assoutenti, through the president Gabriele Melluso, has boiled the idea that a single technical failure can put the entire radar system of northern Italy as intolerable. The association asked for an autonomous investigation and urgent checks on the premises that host the data centers, also considering the high summer temperatures that may have compromised the holding of the systems. Melluso underlined the need for more appropriate risk management protocols and alternative systems that guarantee one hundred percent of the data transmission in all conditions.
Political pressing for clarifications
The political world has also mobilized to obtain clarifications on the incident. The Democratic Party, through the deputies Anthony Barbagallo and Andrea Casu, asked for a parliamentary question to shed light on political responsibilities behind the blocking of the skies of northern Italy. The two parliamentarians spoke of an inadequate management and a “deafening silence” in the most delicate hours, criticizing the work of the Minister of Transport and defining very serious that in 2025 such a failure can occur without clear and immediate responses on responsibilities and preventive measures.
The case of Blackout Radar represents a test bench for the resilience of the Italian airport system and asks questions about the need for investments in more reliable backup systems to prevent individual faults from paralyzing entire geographical areas of the country.
