Athens International Airport (AIA) and other airports across the country remain on alert following the sudden blackout that occurred in the radio communications of Area Control Centers on Sunday morning, January 4, which led to the unprecedented closure of the Athens FIR and hours of disruption for thousands of travelers.
According to parapolitika.gr’s reporting, when the central system went down, backup radars and servers were available. However, because the cause of the technical failure could not be identified—as has been possible in other cases—the decision was made, as a precautionary measure, to gradually reduce capacity and flight services for safety reasons until the cause could be determined.
There is still no precise determination of what caused the blackout or when air traffic and communication systems will be fully restored.
Civil Aviation Authority teams continue to closely monitor the situation while a return to full normalcy is expected gradually, as special checks are necessary.
Meanwhile, AIA management and tourism professionals hope the disruption will fade quietly and not negatively affect traveler confidence in the coming period, as 2026 has been characterized as a critical year for aviation, with Greece playing a catalytic role in demand as one of the most dynamically developing destinations.
On Sunday evening, January 4, the Civil Aviation Authority issued an announcement describing “a technical issue that appeared simultaneously on multiple frequencies in the form of ‘noise,’ originating, according to initial indications, from telecommunications infrastructure.”
Civil Aviation Authority teams continue to closely monitor the situation while a return to full normalcy is expected gradually, as special checks are necessary.
Meanwhile, AIA management and tourism professionals hope the disruption will fade quietly and not negatively affect traveler confidence in the coming period, as 2026 has been characterized as a critical year for aviation, with Greece playing a catalytic role in demand as one of the most dynamically developing destinations.
On Sunday evening, January 4, the Civil Aviation Authority issued an announcement describing “a technical issue that appeared simultaneously on multiple frequencies in the form of ‘noise,’ originating, according to initial indications, from telecommunications infrastructure.”
Athens FIR: why this technical failure caused greater concern compared to previous incidents
In yesterday’s announcement, the OTE Group stated that initial checks have not shown any technical problems in OTE’s circuits. According to parapolitika.gr sources, the difference with this sudden failure compared to similar incidents in the past is that the cause has not been identified—something that is happening for the first time. Consequently, the National Intelligence Service has been promptly informed about the issue, although no related conclusions or potential cyber attack attempts have been reported.
Yesterday’s blackout coincided with the holiday period and agricultural protests, which prompted a large number of travelers to choose air travel. Thus, any flight cancellation or delay had a much greater impact than would have occurred at any other time, resulting in tens of thousands of travelers being affected.
