Α “digital noise” caused the half-day collapse of telecommunications systems essential for operating the Athens FIR, a report by a committee of experts stated on Tuesday.
The serious incident on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, caused chaos in airports in Greece and beyond, as dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed for hours.
According to the findings of the report, no outside interference or factors caused the failure, but rather, a “desynchronization in a number of heterogeneous devices/interfaces.”
The committee of top telecommunications experts included a representative of EUROCONTROL and a representative from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as an observer.
The government came under sharp criticism and the country’s civil aviation sector was among the top stories that day around the world.
Among the criticisms aired is the lack of a thorough upgrading of the country’s air traffic systems and staff shortages.
The Athens FIR was suddenly “revived” in the midafternoon, something achieved by a simple act ubiquitous to PC users in the 1990s and 2000s, namely, a full-blown “restart” following a rerouting of communications traffic within the core network.
In its conclusion, members of the committee also listed the following recommendations: Acceleration of a transition to VoIP (Voice over IP) technology, with the completion of the procurement, installation, and commissioning of a new VCS/RCS (Voice Communication System/Radio Communication System) and 495 new transceivers; establishment of a permanent joint response mechanism between the biggest telephony utility OTE and the Civil Aviation Authority and standardized crisis procedures with testing/training under the former’s supervision; reinforcement with telemetry/remote control and the ability to perform end-to-end diagnostic checks at key points; a reinforcement of radio spectrum supervision by the relevant state watchdog.
