On Sunday morning, a strange radio interference caused Greek airspace to close. This created many flight problems. The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) called the event "unprecedented." Loud electronic noise cut off important communication for air traffic controllers. This unexpected problem needed quick emergency actions. The goal was to find the interference and keep all flights safe. The disruption started at 08:59. It happened on a busy travel day during the holidays.
The cause of the electronic "noise" was not found for most of the day. At first, people thought it was a technical problem. The Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) was most affected. Air traffic was greatly reduced to avoid risks. Airlines could not talk to controllers normally. Therefore, they had to change flight paths and avoid Greek airspace. This made flights longer and caused big delays for many travellers.
To fix the problem, a special plane with experts was sent. They looked for the source of the interference from the air. At the same time, technical teams checked equipment at different transmitter sites in Greece. Because the communication broke down badly, air traffic was limited. Only 35 planes per hour could fly. Departures were carefully managed. There was a four-minute wait between each plane.
The effect on air travel was immediate. At Athens International Airport, eight planes had to go back. Three incoming flights were sent to other airports. About 75 flights were very late in Athens. The problems also reached Cyprus. Hermes Airports said about 500 passengers in Larnaca had flights cancelled or delayed. Greek planes could not fly. This caused a "domino effect." International travel continued late into the night.
Despite the difficulties, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, said flight safety was not harmed. They used backup radio frequencies to restart services slowly. By 16:00, air traffic capacity had increased. Flights began to return to normal. The investigation into the exact cause of the interference will continue.