Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 4, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleBergamo airport halted flights due to technical issues, stranding thousands overnight. Several flights were canceled or delayed, affecting Ryanair and others.
MILAN, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The Italian airport of Bergamo Orio-al-Serio, a Ryanair hub for flights to Milan, halted flights on Saturday evening due to technical issues with the landing guidance system and poor visibility, leaving thousands stranded overnight.
SACBO, the company that operates the airport, said in a statement the technical problem was solved around midnight, but a warning on the airport's website said "flights may be delayed or cancelled".
The incident led to the cancellation of 26 departing flights with 6 diverted to other airports and 7 rescheduled for Sunday, local media said.
Thousands spent the night at the airport, with images showing people sleeping on the floor and baggage check-in belts.
The Bergamo online edition of Corriere della Sera daily said the first flights were halted at around 1700 GMT on Saturday.
Real time information about flights on the airport's website showed a long list of mostly Ryanair flights delayed, though several had departed on Sunday morning.
A 0605 GMT Ryanair flight to Cagliari delayed to 0850 GMT was showing as 'departed' as was a 0620 GMT Neos flight to Sharm-el-Sheikh which had been delayed to 0855 GMT.
(Reporting by Valentina Za;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
A landing guidance system is a technology used in airports to assist pilots in landing aircraft safely, especially under conditions of poor visibility.
Flight cancellations occur when an airline decides to not operate a scheduled flight, often due to technical issues, weather conditions, or other operational challenges.
Poor visibility refers to conditions where the distance at which objects can be clearly seen is significantly reduced, often due to fog, rain, or other weather phenomena.
A rescheduled flight is one that has been moved to a different time or date, usually due to operational issues or unforeseen circumstances.
A diverted flight is one that is redirected from its original destination to another airport, often due to safety concerns or operational needs.
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