Thousands of travellers across Europe have been left stranded after a major communications failure forced Greece to temporarily close its airspace, triggering widespread flight cancellations, diversions and delays.
Image of Thessaloniki Airport used for illustrative purposes/Tomisti/Wikimedia Commons
The disruption began early on Sunday morning when air traffic controllers lost radio contact with aircraft, prompting authorities to suspend all arrivals and departures as a safety precaution, as reported by the BBC.
While some outbound flights have since been allowed to resume, inbound aircraft are still being diverted or instructed to return to their departure airports.
Athens International Airport has been among the worst affected, with more than 90 flights disrupted. Thessaloniki Airport has closed entirely, while knock-on effects have been reported across the continent. Flights departing from Dublin, Barcelona and Paris were ordered to turn back mid-journey, while services from Copenhagen and Malta were cancelled outright.
An airport staff member told the BBC that up to 35 aircraft per hour are now being permitted to take off from Athens, though the airport remains unable to accept incoming flights. Most inbound services are reportedly being diverted to Turkey if not cancelled altogether.
The timing of the disruption has raised concerns for passengers attempting to return home before the start of the working week. Frustration has been compounded by what many describe as a lack of clear communication from airlines and airport authorities.
“I was supposed to fly to London via Stockholm,” one passenger told Greek broadcaster Mega TV from Athens airport. “I’m due at work tomorrow morning and I won’t be there. No one can tell us if or when we’re leaving.”
Similar complaints were echoed by travellers whose flights were delayed or forced to turn back. One passenger, whose flight to Rhodes was diverted back to Athens, told Reuters that they had received no information since landing.
Other Greek airports have also been affected. Public broadcaster ERT reported delays at Heraklion Airport in Crete, including a flight bound for Munich. Domestic passengers may be able to travel by rail, though journeys would take significantly longer.
Greece typically handles more than 600 scheduled flights per day through Athens alone, particularly busy at this time of year as travellers return from winter holidays.
According to Panagiotis Psarros, chair of the Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers, the disruption was caused by the sudden loss of all radio frequencies used to communicate with aircraft. “We could not communicate with planes in the sky,” he said.
Initial investigations by Greek security services suggest the issue may be linked to a failed antenna in the Gerania Mountains near Athens. Italy, Turkey and Cyprus are currently assisting Greece in managing the ongoing situation.
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