50 per cent of flights cancelled day after fire.

Only about 50 per cent of flights are operating to and from Rome's Fiumicino airport on Friday 8 May, the day after a major fire gutted a section of Terminal 3, which is used for international flights.

All airlines are working at a reduced capacity as the airport tries to deal with the backlog of passengers whose flights were cancelled due to the fire in the early hours of Thursday 7 May.

Carriers are attempting to re-route as many passengers as possible through other terminals, while Italy's civil aviation agency ENAC advised passengers to contact airlines for information about their flights.

The shopping area in the airport's third terminal, including boutiques and duty free outlets, was completely destroyed in the fire which is believed to have been triggered by an electrical fault in a bar.

The incident and the resulting passenger chaos have led to some Italian politicians questioning whether Rome is adequately prepared to deal with the influx of pilgrims expected for the Vatican's upcoming Jubilee year.

Photo La Repubblica