A surge in summer air travel is again bringing lengthy flight delays to Greek airports, with shortages of air traffic controllers, aging aviation equipment and airspace management constraints placing increasing pressure on the country’s aviation system.
Thousands of travelers are facing extended waits as passenger traffic rises during the peak tourism season. After a temporary reprieve during the winter months, when lower demand and fewer scheduled flights eased pressure on operations, delays began returning in May.
At the center of the problem is the limited capacity of air traffic control systems managed by Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority, combined with an insufficient number of controllers. Repeated failures in air navigation equipment, much of it based on technology dating to the 1990s, have added to the disruption.
A recent malfunction involving an approach radar serving Athens International Airport highlighted those concerns. The failure temporarily deprived operators of radar imagery and reduced arrival handling capacity from 28 to 24 aircraft per hour until the issue was resolved the following morning, affecting flight schedules at the country’s largest airport.
According to the latest data from Eurocontrol, Greece accounted for 12% of total delays across the European aviation network during the week of June 15-21, placing it fourth among the most congested regions. Since the start of the summer season, the country has frequently ranked among Europe’s five most heavily burdened air traffic areas.
