Flights suspended in Rome's Fiumicino airport after nearby fire

A number of flights at Rome's Fiumicino airport were delayed by hours on Wednesday after a fire broke out in a green area near the airport, local authorities said.

"The airport is slowly returning to normal operations," Italy's Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) said in a statement released in the mid-afternoon, while firefighters announced that the flames were under control.

More than 10 aircraft and vehicles of the local police forces as well as dozens of people were deployed to extinguish the fire, which also caused traffic disruption around the airport, according to local media.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi reportedly ordered the interior ministry to immediately ascertain responsibilities.

The mayor of Fiumicino town, Esterino Montino, said he believed the fire to be malicious.

"It cannot be otherwise, because the fire started at the same time in three points far from each other. Then a strong wind made the situation more complicated and the flames spread across at least 20 hectares," Montino told Rai State television.

Wednesday's fire came after a series of facts that put the busy airport of the Italian capital in trouble.

Last week more than 60 flights of Italy's largest airline Alitalia were canceled at the airport because of a 24-hour strike called by pilots and flight attendants amid the summer vacation travel peak period.

Last May a huge fire broke out at Fiumicino causing huge damages to Terminal 3, which was only recently reopened.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Alitalia said the damage to the airline by the consequences of the May fire amounted to 80 million euros (about 89 million U.S. dollars) to date.

Alitalia is the only airline to have its hub in Fiumicino. About 50 percent of the total number of flights in Fiumicino is plied by Alitalia.

"The problems of Fiumicino come from years and years of inadequate investment and planning and are now structural, we hope there will be less attention to finance and more attention to the market and to passengers needs," Alitalia CEO Silvano Cassano said in the statement.

"If Fiumicino continues to focus on low cost carriers and mediocre services, Alitalia will be forced to shift its growth elsewhere," he added. Enditem