Authorities, airports and air traffic control inform all airlines and pilots about current events by means of Notice to Airmen. Especially in times of the corona pandemic, it is very advisable to read it, because NOTAM is also used to inform about closed airports. Numerous Italian airports are currently closed to commercial air traffic or in some cases even completely closed. The relevant NOTAM was last updated by the Italians on May 21, 2020, but the airline Eurowings was apparently not very clear on Saturday that Olbia Airport was still not ready for commercial passenger flights.

According to the news magazine Focus, a plane from Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings took off in Düsseldorf on Saturday and had to turn back because Olbia Airport was unable to issue a landing permit. In addition, Sardinia is still closed due to orders from the Italian government and will only be partially opened for domestic flights from June 1, 2020. International air traffic is to be permitted again from June 15, 2020.

Until June 3, 2020, there are significant national restrictions for international flights in Italy, so entry is only permitted under special circumstances. Eurowings should have known all of this via NOTAM. Nevertheless, a flight from Düsseldorf to Olbia was carried out and was rejected. According to the media report, the operator of the Sardinian airport rejects any guilt, because the NOTAM would clearly show that the airport is not operational and only private planes are allowed to take off and land.

The ANSA news agency reports that there were "only a few" passengers on board and that the Airbus A320-200 was already approaching Olbia airport. This had to be canceled after the landing permit was refused. The jet then returned to Düsseldorf. Even travel between mainland Italy and Sardinia is blocked until June 1, 2020 due to government orders. Then flight connections to Rome and Milan as well as ferry traffic are to be released. As mentioned, international flights will not follow until June 15, 2020.