July 30th 2015

6:30 pm

ENAC: SITUATION OF TODAY OPERATIONS AT ROME FIUMICINO AIRPORT AFTER THE INCONVENIENCES DUE TO YESTERDAY'S FIRE IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT AND TO THE TWENTY-MINUTE POWER INTERRUPTION OF TODAY - CRITICAL SITUATION ESPECIALL FOR LOW-COST FLIGHTS. 

The National Body for Civil Aviation is monitoring the situation at Rome Fiumicino Airport after the operational problems due to yesterday's fire in an area adjacent to the airport, which imposed restrictions on flights. 

The situation remains critical, despite the fact that all airport operators have been working at full speed in order to limit the delays for the numerous passengers using air transport for their travels in these days. 

In particular, traditional airlines - among which Alitalia, the main operator at Rome Fiumicino - should be able to overcome the delays within today. 
The situation is different for low-cost airline operators.   Indeed, it might take longer for the passengers of these airlines to reschedule their flights and go back to normal activities, 
due both to a very high load factor in this period of traffic peak, 
and to the fact that low-cost operators often do not operate daily flights for some destinations, and need to reschedule their passengers on other airlines or other routes. 

The situation is particularly difficult for the Spanish airline Vueling, which has cancelled many flights.  The operational problems of this airline will probably last for a few days.  Passengers scheduled with Vueling should check with the company whether their flight is being operated or not. 

Furthermore, today ENAC has contacted its Spanish counterpart on the service interruption for Vueling.  ENAC requested the Spanish Authority to intervene with the company so as to find immediate solutions to ensure the service for passengers who bought tickets with this airline.   The Spanish Authority ensured that it will intervene on the airline in order to solve as soon as possible the service interruptions that involved a number of passengers. 

This morning also a power interruption occurred, due to a short circuit that, as reported by Aeroporti di Roma, lasted about twenty minutes. The power supply has quickly been restored, and the interruption only caused a few inconveniences in check-in activities and luggage handling, problems that were swiftly overcome after the power supply returned to normality.  A detailed report also on this episode was requested to the Director of Sistema Aeroporti Lazio, Patrizia Terlizzi, and will be presented in the meeting scheduled for Thursday 6 August with the managers of Aeroporti di Roma and Alitalia. 

ENAC

8:00 am

We suggest passengers to contact their airline operators in advance, so as to check the status and schedule of their flight.

July 29th 2015 5:00 pm
ENAC communicates that this afternoon, 29th July 2015, Rome Fiumicino Airport had to restrict its operations due to a fire that has broken out in areas adjacent to the airport, though outside its parameter. 

In particular, take-offs were blocked as Runway 2 was closed from 2.20 pm to 3.45 pm. Runway 3, usually dedicated to landings, has operated normally.  Runway 1, instead, was closed in order to facilitate fire-fighting activities. 

From 3.45 pm, Fiumicino airport is slowly going back to normal operations with some delays, in order not to interfere with fire-fighting vehicles. 

The Airport management company, Aeroporti di Roma, is now working to clean up the runways from the debris due to the fire, while company staff is available within the terminals to give information to the passengers of flights involved in the delays.