On Sunday, January 4, Greek airspace was blocked for several hours due to an unprecedented aviation radio frequency failure. Massive interference, which began at 08:59 local time, paralyzed communication between controllers and pilots, forcing authorities to temporarily suspend the reception and departure of flights at all airports in the country. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
According to the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, an "undefined noise" in the form of continuous spontaneous radiation was recorded on the frequencies. Panagiotis Psarros, head of the Hellenic Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the incident highlighted a critical problem of aging infrastructure, noting that the country uses one of the oldest flight management systems in Europe.
The failure affected all ground frequencies and the Athens Approach unit, responsible for the capital's Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. Despite a complete loss of communication on the main channels, air traffic controllers continued to serve transit aircraft flying over the country.
Resumption of flights
Towards evening, airport operations were partially restored thanks to the transition to backup frequencies. By the end of the day, traffic intensity was about 45 flights per hour. Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas assured that the situation did not threaten flight safety, but the incident led to long delays for thousands of passengers in the midst of the holiday season.