Greek air traffic controllers warn of renewed system failure risk as aging equipment strains summer travel season

Representatives of the Greek Air Traffic Controllers Association told local media that communication and surveillance systems continue to fail regularly despite a nationwide disruption that hit the Athens FIR on January 4.

They attributed last week's widespread flight delays primarily to obsolete technology and staffing shortages at Athens International Airport, warning that another operational blackout remains a real possibility absent system upgrades.

Among the chief concerns is the Civil Aviation Authority's Voice Communication System, identified by the official investigation into January's disruption as relying on outdated technology. Olga Toki, second vice president of the controllers' association, said installation of a replacement system has begun and is expected to become operational by summer 2027. However, no contract has yet been signed to replace the radar surveillance system, which suffered a major failure in August 2025 that temporarily knocked out aircraft surveillance data and triggered widespread delays.

"That particular system is supposed to be replaced every 10 years, while ours is already 26 years old," Ms. Toki said.

"With these aging systems, we cannot cope with continuously growing traffic. When we can handle up to 35 departures per hour but the airport schedules 45, delays are inevitable."

Association president Panagiotis Psarros said controllers frequently must switch to backup systems that lack the full capabilities of primary equipment when technical failures occur, a scenario he said happens "quite often."

Ms. Toki added that Athens International Airport has "reached the maximum" of its air traffic management capacity, citing instances in which arriving aircraft were forced to hold on taxiways because no parking stand was available.

The warnings come as aviation authorities prepare to place Athens International Airport under the stricter IATA Level 3 slot coordination regime beginning this winter, making airline slot allocations legally binding in an effort to ease congestion during peak hours.