Air travel chaos in Greece as radio frequency failure shuts airports

Thousands of passengers stranded after Greece shut its airspace due to a technical failure

January 4, 2026

Air travel chaos in Greece after nationwide aviation outage

Greece suspends all take-offs amid major aviation systems failure

Air traffic across Greece was brought to a standstill on Saturday after a major radio frequency disruption crippled air traffic control systems, forcing the suspension of departures nationwide and triggering widespread delays and diversions.

Greek state television and the country’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that the disruption led to the effective closure of Greek airspace, with flights grounded across all airports, including Athens International Airport.

According to reports, the airspace over Greece suddenly emptied as take-offs were halted due to the failure, which began early on January 4, 2026. Security check-in and departures at Athens International Airport were suspended from around 9 am local time, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

“Due to the ongoing radio frequency failure in Greek airspace, no take-offs are possible nationwide,” the Greek City Times reported in a post on X, citing aviation sources.

Passengers stranded, flights diverted

The disruption led to massive queues at airports, with passengers facing cancellations, delays, and uncertainty over rescheduled flights. While some arriving aircraft were able to land using manual procedures, many flights were diverted to alternate airports outside Greece.

“All Greek airports are affected. FIR Athens is effectively closed,” the report said, adding that airlines had begun issuing alerts warning passengers of significant delays and cancellations throughout the day.

No timeline for restoration yet

The Civil Aviation Authority said technical teams were working urgently to restore normal operations, but no estimated timeline had been provided for the resolution of the issue.

The incident has raised concerns over the resilience of aviation communication systems, particularly as Greece experiences high passenger traffic even during the winter travel season.

For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.