Flights were disrupted across Greece on Sunday morning due to a technical problem at the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR), affecting arrivals and departures at Athens’ main airport and regional airports.
The issue appears to be linked to the central radio frequency systems of the Athens and Macedonia Area Control Centers, which operate under the Civil Aviation Authority.
The radio frequencies serving the affected control center have gone out of operation. The center plays a critical role, as all aircraft entering Greek airspace are required to establish communication with it.
The technical malfunction is affecting all flights to and from Greece, although aircraft already in the air are continuing to operate normally.
“As a result, the first measure is to suspend all departures from Greek airports. At the same time efforts are under way to manage aircraft already in the air so they can land safely,” Panagiotis Psaros, president of the Air Traffic Controllers Association, told Kathimerini.
At this stage, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), in coordination with relevant external agencies, is investigating the incident.
Preliminary reports point to a circuit failure, though the precise cause or origin has not yet been determined. There is no indication when normal operations will be restored.
As a precaution, the affected sector has been temporarily closed. A directive has been issued allowing only overflights – aircraft passing through Greek airspace without landing – to continue operations while authorities work to restore normal service.
This story has been updated.
