Greek skies cleared after radio loss caused airport chaos
The skies over Greece were temporarily silent as a technical glitch caused widespread disruption to air traffic control, leaving thousands of travelers stranded at airports across the country. The incident, which began just before 9 am local time, affected all radio frequencies used by air traffic controllers, cutting off communication with aircraft and grounding flights.
The Greek Civil Aviation Authority reported that an unknown 'noise' affected the radio channels, but the cause remains unclear. Panagiotis Psarros, chair of the Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers, attributed the issue to outdated systems, stating that the aging infrastructure should have been replaced years ago.
Despite the initial chaos, authorities acted swiftly. By Sunday afternoon, limited services were restored through backup frequencies, and air traffic gradually resumed. By late afternoon, around 45 flights were departing Greek airports every hour, and the country's civil aviation authority reported that 31.6 million passengers transited through Athens airport in the first 11 months of 2025.
The Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers described the incident as 'unprecedented and unacceptable', highlighting the critical role of air traffic control in ensuring safe aircraft separation, speed, and altitude management. Despite the disruption, Greece's infrastructure and transport minister, Christos Dimas, assured the public that flight safety was not compromised during the incident.
