Overview
- A failure of central radio and communications systems forced Greece to suspend all departures and halt or reroute arrivals under aviation safety protocols.
- Air traffic controllers began handling initial takeoffs and landings using alternative frequencies, but authorities have not given a timeline for full normalization.
- The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority said the fault lay in the core communications systems and reported working with telecom provider Cosmote on repairs.
- The air traffic controllers' union ruled out a cyberattack and blamed the outage on outdated communications infrastructure.
- The disruption triggered diversions, cancellations and lengthy delays across Europe, with flight trackers showing an unusually empty Greek airspace and congestion in neighboring regions.