Dialogos

Greece: Major Technical Issue at Athens Airport Halts Flights – Groundings and Significant Delays

Published January 4, 2026, 13:00
Greece: Major Technical Issue at Athens Airport Halts Flights – Groundings and Significant Delays

A serious technical issue affecting communication radio frequencies in Greek airspace caused significant disruptions to air traffic on Sunday afternoon, leading to aircraft groundings at airports across the country and extensive delays. The problem began to be gradually resolved shortly after 1 p.m., with flights, mainly departures, resuming at 'Eleftherios Venizelos' airport. The malfunction was located at the Athens – Macedonia Air Traffic Control Center, a crucial communication point for all aircraft entering Greek airspace. As a result, all flights from Greek airports were temporarily prohibited while authorities managed aircraft already in the air to ensure safe landings. Initial investigations suggest a circuit malfunction, but the exact cause and a clear timeline for full restoration are yet to be determined. The Civil Aviation Authority, in collaboration with external agencies, is investigating the incident and has temporarily closed the affected sector, allowing only overflights – aircraft passing through Greek airspace without landing – to proceed. The disruption caused considerable anxiety for passengers during a peak travel period due to the holidays. Numerous scheduled flights were canceled or delayed, leading to passengers being disembarked and awaiting further information at the airports. According to the Ministry of Transport, eight departures from Athens returned to their parking positions, three arrivals were diverted to other airports, four flights were canceled, and a total of 75 flights experienced delays. OTE stated that initial checks did not reveal any technical faults in its circuits but continues to cooperate with authorities.