Greece Faces Air Travel Chaos After Radio Communication Failure

On Sunday, air travel in Greece came to a halt from 9:00 AM until the early afternoon due to a significant technical issue that disrupted radio communications between aircraft and ground control towers. While flights already in the air continued on their routes without incident, thousands of passengers facing delays were stranded at national and international airports across the country. Air traffic began to resume slowly in the early afternoon, with around 35 flights able to manage departures and arrivals at various airports. However, the situation remained precarious with over 75 flights experiencing delays as a result of the disruption. The cause of the communication breakdown remains unclear, but initial reports suggest that it may have stemmed from a loss of radio frequencies in the Hellenic Air Traffic Control Center in Athens, the largest facility of its kind in Greece responsible for managing all flights entering Greek airspace. In response to the incident, the Greek Civil Aviation Authority declared the failure an unprecedented event and stated that an investigation is underway in collaboration with external agencies to determine the root cause and prevent similar occurrences in the future. This incident highlights the vulnerability of air traffic communication systems and the potential for significant disruption in air travel, affecting both domestic and international routes. Passengers and airlines alike are left to deal with the ramifications of this unexpected failure. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2