Albania’s Defense Minister Ermal Nufi has expressed his condolences over the deaths of two Greek Air Force pilots who were killed in an F-4 Phantom crash during the Athens Flying Week air show.
Nufi conveyed his “sincere condolences” to the Greek Armed Forces and the families of Wing Commander Ioannis Blesias and Squadron Leader Dimitrios Petros during a conversation with Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias.

Crash of a Phantom F-4 military aircraft during the Athens Flying Week 2026 air show in Tanagra, Saturday, September 5, 2026 (Michalis Papanikolaou / Eurokinissi)
Dendias announced the Albanian minister’s message in a post on social media on Monday, September 7.
Σε επικοινωνία που είχαμε ο Υπουργός Άμυνας της Αλβανίας @ErmalNufi εξέφρασε τα ειλικρινή του συλλυπητήρια προς τις ελληνικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις & τις οικογένειες του Επισμηναγού (Ι) Ιωάννη Μπλέσια και του Σμηναγού (Ι) Δημήτριου Πέτρου, που έχασαν τη ζωή τους κατά το δυστύχημα στο… pic.twitter.com/iVKAblcsvE
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) September 7, 2026






