Greek aviation authorities said a gradual restoration of services was under way following a blackout in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) that caused widespread disruption at airports across the country.
According to officials, by 12:50 p.m. local time air traffic at Athens International Airport had increased to around 35 aircraft movements per hour. Clearance was also given for departures from Athens toward northern, eastern and southern airspace at four-minute intervals, regardless of aircraft type.
Authorities said investigations were continuing to fully resolve the technical issue that led to the temporary loss of air traffic control capabilities over Greek airspace, which had affected dozens of domestic and international flights.
UPD –
Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Tuesday that a serious technical problem affecting the country’s airspace since 9:35 a.m. had forced widespread restrictions on flights, halting arrivals and departures at Athens International Airport and at airports nationwide.
In a statement, the authority said that several radio frequencies serving the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) were experiencing technical difficulties, which were being investigated in cooperation with external technical partners.
“To ensure the highest level of flight safety, only a limited number of overflights are being handled, and restrictions have been imposed at Greek airports,” the CAA said, adding that a relevant NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) had already been issued. Further updates would follow as the investigation continued.
The malfunction has affected all flights to and from Greece, prompting urgent efforts to restore normal operations. Officials did not give a timeline for resolving the issue.
While disruption continued, limited movement was reported at Athens airport, with some departure gates reopening for select international routes, including flights to Larnaca and Tel Aviv, as well as for a small number of domestic destinations such as Ikaria, according to local media reports.
Air traffic across Greece was severely disrupted on Tuesday after a technical failure affected air traffic control communications, grounding arrivals and departures at the country’s main airport and regional hubs, aviation sources said.
Flights to and from Greece were temporarily halted, while only aircraft already airborne were being handled under contingency procedures.
Officials were working urgently to restore the systems, which are critical for air traffic control communications nationwide. Authorities were expected to issue an official statement, and a temporary closure of the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) was under consideration until communications were fully restored.
The disruption affected all commercial flights entering or leaving Greek airspace, raising the likelihood of delays and cancellations across Europe’s southeastern aviation corridor.
Source: tovima.com
