-45 flights are being serviced, compared to a capacity of 180
-Announcement from Air Traffic Controllers
Air traffic in Greek airports is gradually returning to normal after today’s outage caused by a technical issue with the frequencies of Greek airspace.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, the management of the restoration of frequencies that serve the needs of the FIR of Athens continues in coordination with relevant external agencies, while operationally the Civil Aviation Authority is in constant cooperation with EUROCONTROL.
With the safety of flights in mind, up to 35 departures and arrivals from Greek airports were serviced in the first hours of the problem, as well as part of the passing traffic in three sectors. The technical issue, which is unprecedented in its scope, remains under investigation, and an updated NOTAM notice has been issued.
According to an update from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, shortly after 4:00 PM, the airspace capacity is gradually increasing to 45 aircraft per hour, up from 35 earlier, marking the first phase of a return to more normal operating conditions.
Responsible sources indicate that efforts to fully resolve the technical issues are ongoing, and passengers are advised to contact their airline for detailed information about the status and scheduling of their flights.
In its first announcement on the incident, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states: “The management of the restoration of frequencies that serve the needs of the Athens FIR continues in coordination with the relevant external agencies, while operationally the Authority is coordinated with EUROCONTROL. Always with the safety of flights in mind, at this time up to 35 departures and arrivals from Greek airports are being serviced and partially the passing traffic in three sectors. The technical issue, the size of which is being addressed for the first time, continues to be under investigation and there will be further announcements. An updated NOTAM has been issued.”
It is recalled that Greece has been officially referred to the European Union and specifically to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) due to issues concerning air traffic management. This is a formal procedure because the country has not taken all the necessary measures to fully comply with specific EU regulations in this area.
In another announcement from the Civil Aviation Authority, which is unknown to which mass media it was sent and when, while there is no reference on its website, it states the following: “On 1/4/2026 at 08:59 local time, the Authority faced a massive interference in almost all frequencies that serve the Athens FIR, while at the same time there was a drop in HELLAS COM lines as well as in operational communication phone lines. The disturbance observed in the frequencies took the form of continuous, involuntary broadcasting. The airport’s IT staff, in coordination with OTE technicians, made immediate efforts to locate and resolve the issue. This is an unprecedented incident in terms of its massiveness, geographical extent, and temporal persistence.
The Service’s Crisis Response Team was convened by Sunday morning, under the Commander. Saunátzo, at the Athens Area Control Center, with the participation of the Deputy Air Navigation Superintendent, Mr. Vagena, of the General Director of Aeronautics, Mr. Sfakianakis, as well as all the heads of the relevant technical and operational Directorates. The team is in constant coordination and teleconferences with external agencies, as well as operational cooperation with EUROCONTROL for the best management of the Athens FIR.
Meanwhile, the HCAA’s electronic systems were activated in all regional transmission and reception units, including Ymittos, Pilio, Thassos, Akarnania, Monastiraki, and Gerania, in order to conduct on-site checks of the transmission systems.
At midday, the Civil Aviation Authority’s specially equipped aircraft was ordered to take off on an emergency basis, with the participation of the Authority’s electronics and a special technician from the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, for the targeted investigation of interference from the air.”
Early that afternoon, a report was circulated without attribution, about “an antenna malfunction in the Geraneia Mountains.”
Statement by Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas
In a statement, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Dimas said: “The technical issue that arose this morning on some of the frequencies that serve the needs of the Athens FIR did not affect the safety of flights in any way, and it has now been resolved, according to the relevant update from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
As soon as the problem was identified, the procedures for the safe conduct of flights were activated in cooperation with EUROCONTROL, as well as the procedures for addressing the problem at a technical level.
Among other things, the systems were checked by the CAA’s electronics in all regional transmission and reception system units, while the CAA’s equipped aircraft, with electronics from the Agency and a special technician from EETT, took off on an emergency basis and conducted a frequency spectrum check.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has been in direct cooperation with all relevant, involved agencies from the beginning to fully clarify the causes of this issue, which has not affected the systems of the Hellenic Air Force.
It is recalled that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is implementing an Action Plan to upgrade and modernize air navigation systems, in consultation with the relevant European bodies (DG MOVE, EASA and EUROCONTROL).
The Plan, with a completion horizon of 2028, includes 364 actions, organized into seven main pillars, which, among other things, concern:
- Development of Data Link services.
- Upgrade of the air traffic control system (TopSky ATC One).
- Performance-based navigation application (PBN).
- Development of Mode S radar.
- Implementation of the CP1 Regulation and improvements in the Air Traffic Management sector.
This effort is in full swing.”
