On the morning of Sunday, January 4, a big problem hit the radio frequencies at the Athens Control Centers. This made it hard for pilots and air traffic controllers to talk. As a result, many flights to and from Greek airports were delayed or canceled.
Some pilots had to land their planes manually, using old procedures that felt like a blast from the past. It was like going back in time when communication relied on voices, maps, and focus.
At “Eleftherios Venizelos,” around 90 flights were affected. Seventy-five were delayed, four were canceled, and three had to land at different airports. People spent hours waiting in terminals. At Macedonia Airport, there were also delays and cancellations, with arrivals from Athens, Samos, Larnaca, and Stockholm being held up.
Technicians worked hard to fix the communication issue. By 12:50, operations started to return to normal, bringing some relief. Thirty-five aircraft took off each hour as flights began to resume.
No one was in danger – all flights landed safely – but the day felt like a scene from a movie. Planes waited in the air while people anxiously checked their watches and staff rushed around to keep things orderly. The inconvenience continued until the technical issue was fully fixed. Passengers are advised to keep an eye on flight updates.
The Greek Air Traffic Controllers Association shared on social media that the radio frequency problem in Athens FIR is still causing delays and trouble for thousands of travelers.
Some departures from “Eleftherios Venizelos” have started to help ease airport congestion, but there’s no new news about arrivals. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is working with technicians to fix the issue as quickly as possible.
The CAA has begun some flights based on what the Air Traffic System can handle. Efforts are ongoing to resolve the technical problem. For more details on your flight, please contact your airline.
