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Greek airspace shuts down after communications failure
Greece suspended all arrivals and most departures on Sunday after air-traffic controllers lost radio contact with aircraft, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across Europe.
Airports report partial resumption but inbound flights still diverted
Officials allowed a limited number of departures to resume by mid-morning, permitting 35 aircraft per hour to take off from Athens International Airport. However, inbound flights remain barred, forcing diversions to Turkey or returns to origin airports.
Thessaloniki's airport has closed entirely, while three flights from Heraklion on Crete-including a Munich-bound service-have been delayed.
Passengers face missed work and mounting costs
With the disruption occurring ahead of the workweek, travelers expressed frustration over missed commitments and unclear rebooking options.
"I was supposed to fly to London via Stockholm for my shift at Newport Hospital tomorrow morning. I won't make it, and no one is telling us when we'll leave or who will cover these extra costs."
Stranded passenger at Athens International Airport
Another traveler, whose flight to Rhodes was forced to turn back, told Reuters: "From that moment until now, we've received no updates whatsoever."
Over 90 Athens flights canceled; broader European impact
More than 90 flights in and out of Athens were canceled, while services from Dublin, Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen, and Malta were either diverted, returned, or scrapped. Public broadcaster ERT reported most diverted flights were rerouted to Turkey.
Domestic passengers may opt for Greece's rail network, though journeys will take significantly longer than air travel.
Investigation points to antenna failure in Gerania Mountains
Panagiotis Psarros, chair of the Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers, told ERT that all radio frequencies "suddenly lost" communication with airborne aircraft. An initial probe by Greek security services suggested a malfunctioning antenna in the Gerania Mountains near Athens as the likely cause.
Italy, Turkey, and Cyprus are assisting Greece in managing the fallout.
Peak travel period compounds chaos
Athens typically handles over 600 flights daily during this post-holiday period, exacerbating the disruption's impact. Passengers criticized the lack of timely updates, with one telling Flash news site: "We've heard nothing. They say we'll leave, but I don't believe it-my flight isn't even on the departures board."
