As the summer season drew to a close earlier this month, Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” made headlines for two very different reasons.
The first was a record-breaking passenger flow in August, when the airport handled 3.88 million travelers — a 6.7% increase compared with the same month last year.
The second, however, was far less celebratory: a technical failure at the peak of the tourist season that caused major delays, widespread passenger frustration, and once again cast a spotlight on the critical problems facing Greece’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. According to the country’s air traffic controllers themselves, the situation has reached the point where “there is no time left to lose.”
A Night of Failure: August 19
“Just a few days ago, we were exposed internationally after a serious technical failure at a terminal radar serving Athens International Airport and at the backup frequencies of Athens Approach,” read a late-August statement from the Greek Air Traffic Controllers’ Association.
Panagiotis Psaros, president of the association, told TΟ ΒΗΜΑ International Edition that Athens’ terminal airspace is supported by three radars. One, located at the old Hellinikon airport, has been out of service for nearly three years. A second, at Kamara Hill, was still operating. The third, at Merenta Hill near Markopoulo, failed on the evening of August 19.
“That left us relying on just one radar,” Psaros said. “At the same time, we also lost the connection with the transmission antennas on Merenta Hill, which carry the backup frequencies for Athens Approach.”
According to Psaros, the malfunction stemmed from a component that had long been defective. A replacement was available at the start of 2024, but the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) did not procure it in time. “As a result, the radar failed during the busiest period of the year, causing major delays. The fault was repaired only several hours later,” he said.
The CAA approved the purchase of the replacement part only after the incident — a delay Psaros says “exposed the country internationally.”
Ryanair’s Complaint: Over 1 Million Passengers Delayed
The radar failure was picked up by international media the very next day, amplified by Ryanair. The Irish airline said the Athens breakdown had delayed 12 flights to and from Greece, disrupting travel for more than 2,000 passengers on August 20.
Ryanair called on the European Commission to urgently reform what it described as “Europe’s shambolic ATC system.”
In a later statement, the carrier addressed Greek Transport and Infrastructure Minister Christos Dimas directly:
“It is unacceptable that Greek ATC mismanagement and staff shortages continue to cause disruption to Greek flights and passengers. Already this year (Jan. 1–Sept. 15), more than 1 million Ryanair passengers — many traveling on holidays with young families — have suffered unnecessary and avoidable ATC delays, all because Minister Dimas has not taken action to properly staff Greece’s ATC services.”
Ryanair ranked Greece fifth in Europe for ATC-related delays to its flights, behind France (9.1 million passengers affected), Spain (5.7 million), Germany (2.6 million), and the UK (1.2 million).
Why Flights to Athens Run Late
Flight delays can accumulate — one late arrival pushes back the next. But in Athens, the underlying causes go deeper.
“The main issues are understaffing, outdated equipment and systems, difficulty sourcing spare parts, and extended working hours,” Psaros said.
Athens Airport’s nominal capacity is 22 arrivals per hour. “In summer, by working additional shifts — up to the point where it is still safe — we manage about 28 arrivals per hour,” Psaros said. “But at peak demand, we may face 45 arrivals. That is simply not possible with current resources.”
For comparison, Munich Airport, which has a similar runway configuration, has a nominal capacity of 58 arrivals per hour. “Munich can do that because it has more staff, better equipment, and more efficient procedures for managing airspace,” Psaros said. “If we had those, we could also handle more flights. Safety is not compromised — we never exceed safe limits — but the delays are inevitable.”
These ongoing limitations have contributed to today’s delays, as controllers continue to cap arrivals in line with staffing and safety constraints.
Athens–Europe: Near in Miles, Distant in Systems
“Our systems are 26 years old,” Psaros said. “We have fallen behind not only Western Europe, but also Egypt, Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania and North Macedonia.”
The age of the equipment makes spare parts difficult to source. Responding to the CAA’s assertion that the Merenta radar had 100% availability in the first half of 2025, Psaros countered: “A radar must work 365 days a year. Brief malfunctions of a few minutes can be tolerated. A full-day outage in peak season cannot.”
Frequencies, he added, are “at their worst point ever, with several daily outages, and many others plagued by interference, static, and poor coverage.”
Pilots flying in and out of Athens confirmed the problem in interviews with TO BHMA International Edition. One said that “the moment you enter Greek airspace, you notice the poor quality of frequencies.” Another described delays as “an everyday reality from April to September.” Others pointed out that approach instructions in Athens are less automated and more manual compared with other European airports, leaving controllers under pressure and forced to rely on outdated methods because they lack modern tools.
They also noted that radar screens in Athens provide far fewer data points than newer systems. With modern technology, controllers can automatically see cockpit selections such as speed.
“With better radar, planes can be brought closer together, opening space for more arrivals and cutting delays,” one pilot explained.
Another added that compared with other European hubs, Athens suffers “much worse delays, even though traffic volumes are smaller. We’re used to it, but pilots unfamiliar with Athens are often surprised.”
A Long Road Ahead
In 2022, the European Commission referred Greece, along with Malta and Slovakia, to the EU Court of Justice for failing to comply with In 2022, the European Commission referred Greece, along with Malta and Slovakia, to the EU Court of Justice for issues related to compliance with certain air-traffic regulations, particularly concerning the implementation of Data Link Services and aspects of older equipment.
Transport Minister Christos Dimas told Parliament last week that Greece is now implementing a “holistic Action Plan” for aviation.
“Our country has a comprehensive plan not only for the administrative restructuring of the Civil Aviation Authority, but also for staffing, infrastructure and modernization of all air navigation systems, so they are fully compatible with the most advanced in Europe,” he said.
The plan, drawn up with DG MOVE, EASA and Eurocontrol, outlines 364 measures, including the introduction of DLS, Performance-Based Navigation procedures, and Mode S radars. Without them, Greece risks EU fines.
Psarros expressed skepticism about the Action Plan’s execution: “The plan must be implemented — otherwise sanctions will follow. But we don’t see reliability in the commitments. Projects are repeatedly delayed, announcements are recycled, and deadlines are pushed back.”
Even with contracts signed tomorrow, some upgrades — especially new radar systems — would not be operational until 2029. “We are losing summers,” he warned.
On a more positive note, 97 new staff are expected to be hired in early October — a recruitment promised back in 2022 when post-Covid traffic surged and shortages became acute. Another 72 are planned for 2026.
“This will lay some groundwork, but training takes two years. We’ve accepted that for the next three to four years, the system won’t look very different. We just hope it won’t take longer than that.”
