Greece Halts All Flights Due to Air Traffic Control System Breakdown
A significant technical glitch in Greece’s air traffic control system brought the country’s flights to a grinding halt on January 4, 2026. This incident occurred during the bustling post-holiday travel period, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
The disruption kicked off just before 9:00 AM local time. Aviation radio frequencies experienced massive interference, prompting authorities to enforce a precautionary shutdown of Greek airspace. This failure impacted the central radio frequency systems at the Athens and Macedonia Area Control Centers. These centers play a crucial role in facilitating communication between pilots and air traffic controllers.
“All frequencies were abruptly lost, leaving us with no means to communicate with aircraft in the sky,” said Panagiotis Psarros, chair of the Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers. The Athens Flight Information Region, which oversees a vast airspace over the Aegean Sea critical to southeastern European air travel, was effectively closed down.
Major airlines, including Aegean Airlines, British Airways, Ryanair, and EasyJet, had to cancel dozens of flights. Meanwhile, inbound aircraft were rerouted to Rome, Budapest, Tirana, and Cyprus. Consequently, Athens International Airport came to a near standstill as Greek skies were devoid of aircraft.
By the afternoon, backup frequencies and alternative communication channels were activated, allowing for a gradual restoration of services. Greece’s infrastructure minister, Christos Dimas, assured that the incident did not compromise flight safety. However, authorities are currently probing into the cause. By evening, flights had resumed, albeit with an average delay of 70 minutes.
Source: https://simpleflying.com/europe-wide-travel-chaos-after-greece-air-traffic-communications-collapse/