The Air Traffic Controllers Union (EEEKE) issued a statement regarding the widespread blackout in Athens FIR, which from Sunday morning (4/1) caused cancellations and serious delays to hundreds of flights to and from the country. Specifically, it raises questions about the causes, as well as the restoration process of the total loss of communications on the frequencies of the Athens-Macedonia Area Control Center, citing contradictions in the two successive press releases issued by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority.
Read: About 2,000 pieces of luggage lost due to Athens FIR blackout – Air traffic controllers’ complaints
As EEEKE notes, the official announcements from the Civil Aviation Authority initially spoke of “extensive and persistent interference with large geographical coverage,” while subsequently the incident was attributed to “a technical problem located at a specific point.” The Union emphasizes that so far “there has been no clear information either about the exact causes of the incident or about the process through which the operation of the frequencies was restored.”
At the same time, EEEKE emphasizes that the Civil Aviation Authority’s press releases made no reference to the role of air traffic controllers, who, as it states, managed the situation and ensured the safe landing of all flights, despite the difficulties and technical failures of older systems. According to the Union, the staff worked under particularly demanding conditions, without additional support. It also refers to pressure on air traffic controllers to accept increased traffic, aiming to limit delays, at a time when, as EEEKE argues, it has not been ensured that the problem will not recur.
The Union also expresses reservations about references to “unknown interference,” noting that these allegedly affected selectively specific antennas serving the Athens-Macedonia Area Control Center and not other facilities, even in areas where equipment is located in the same space. At the same time, it requests full and clear information about what exactly caused the incident, whether similar failures have occurred in the past, and whether preventive measures had been taken.
Reference is also made to a previous incident in August, which concerned the loss of a data transmission line from Merenda hill, arguing that then the replacement of a critical spare part was significantly delayed and that no responsibilities were sought. Finally, EEEKE states that the Civil Aviation Authority’s management has not apologized to the traveling public, nor has it taken responsibility for the problems that arose. It emphasizes that the condition of the Civil Aviation Authority’s equipment remains critical and warns that, “without immediate interventions, the air traffic system may face serious difficulties during the upcoming summer period, noting that air traffic controllers will not bear responsibility for such a development.”
Full statement from the Air Traffic Controllers Union
The complete statement from the Air Traffic Controllers Union (EEEKE) is as follows:
“After a day and two press releases from the Civil Aviation Authority, where the second contradicts the first, we still haven’t learned why the total loss occurred on the frequencies of the Athens-Macedonia Area Control Center and even more worryingly how it was restored. From theories about ‘persistent,’ ‘massive interference’ with large ‘geographical coverage’ we arrived at the ‘technical problem,’ located at one point. We heard statements even that ‘the system went crazy.'”
“The Civil Aviation Authority’s management with such contradictory announcements that lack seriousness, once again exposes itself and shows its nakedness and the state of panic in which it finds itself.”
“In none of the press releases was there the slightest reference to the superhuman effort of the Air Traffic Controllers and the fact that they managed to handle an unprecedented situation in an exemplary manner and ensure that all flights landed safely, working under adverse conditions and exposed to failures of outdated systems without any support from management.”
“The lack of appreciation for the workers demonstrates the unbridled arrogance of the Civil Aviation Authority’s management that did not have the minimum dignity to stand by those who guaranteed flight safety, at the same time that the service and its systems exposed them once again and we were disgraced as a country internationally.”
“The Civil Aviation Authority’s management cannot hide its resentment towards air traffic controllers, although it exploits their work and at the same time, at every opportunity, underestimates their capabilities and professionalism. The Civil Aviation Authority’s management is once again exposed for the country’s disgrace both with the incident and with its handling. Of course, the Civil Aviation Authority is trying to mitigate impressions by saying that nothing very serious happened and that flight safety was not compromised at any point. It doesn’t mention anywhere that the only reason aircraft landed safely was the exemplary handling by air traffic controllers and not the means provided by the Civil Aviation Authority.”
“We call on the Civil Aviation Authority’s management to stop pressuring air traffic controllers on duty to accept more traffic, to mitigate the problem with delays, at a time when it cannot guarantee that the problem will not recur, since it hasn’t even identified it yet.”
“In its favorite tactic of disclaiming all responsibility, the Civil Aviation Authority’s management, unable this time to blame air traffic controllers and their demands, resorted to invoking ‘unknown interference’ that paradoxically was ‘geographically extensive,’ but selectively affected antennas serving the Athens-Macedonia Area Control Center and not those serving airports, which in many places throughout Greece, are located in the same space. We wonder if the Civil Aviation Authority will inform us what actually happened or if this too will be buried, in front of the imaginative effort of the already behind-schedule Action Plan. Finally the truth was revealed and now we’re playing with words again, as happened last August in the case of the loss of the data transmission line from Merenda hill. Then it was clearly proven that the Civil Aviation Authority for one year was evaluating whether it should get the spare part, which failed and which to this day, 5 months after the failure has not been acquired. Of course no responsibility was sought from the political leadership and no one’s ear sweated.”
“Now we expect to learn what exactly failed yesterday, whether such a failure has occurred again and has been concealed, as well as why the Civil Aviation Authority did not take care to armor the system from an eventuality like yesterday’s. We heard a statement on a television station that there has been a similar problem of smaller extent again. The Civil Aviation Authority must finally answer us whether this statement is true and if it is true why measures were not taken to prevent what happened yesterday.”
“The Civil Aviation Authority’s management in the empty content verbosity of the press releases it issues has not included the two most important references:”
“To apologize to the traveling public and take responsibility for the problems.”
“The fact that it hasn’t done so simply shows that it has no disposition to solve the problem, since it doesn’t even dare to acknowledge it.”
“Since the Civil Aviation Authority’s management doesn’t do its duty to the traveling public, then the political leadership should take up the matter. We hope that at this critical point the political leadership will stop believing the excuses of the Civil Aviation Authority’s management that simply each time reassures the Ministry, until the next problem appears.”
“One thing is certain that the situation with the equipment at the Civil Aviation Authority cannot remain as it is. If moves are not made to change it, then the country’s air traffic system will not be able to cope with the traffic of the upcoming summer period and air traffic controllers will have no responsibility for this. The responsibility will belong entirely to the Civil Aviation Authority’s management and those who supervise it.”
