Overview
- Air traffic gradually resumed on Sunday using alternative frequencies after a sudden failure of central ATC radios halted arrivals and departures across Greece.
- By Monday operations had largely stabilized, though airports such as Athens reported heavy crowds as airlines worked through Sunday’s cancellations and delays.
- The outage began around 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday and affected all major airports including Athens and Thessaloniki, with many overflights rerouted around Greek airspace.
- The flight controllers’ union blamed outdated systems, while the HCAA said it was working with telecom operator Cosmote as investigators focus on a radio mast near Athens.
- Transport Minister Christos Dimas said flight safety was not compromised, promised accountability and a modernization plan agreed with the EU through 2028, and noted compensation rights for disrupted travelers and carriers.