Greek Skies Go Silent: Mysterious Radio Blackout Halts Flights

On Sunday morning, Greek airspace experienced a severe communications outage, lasting several hours and impacting most of the country's airports. Air traffic controllers in Athens reported a sudden loss of radio contact with aircraft, accompanied by a piercing whistle, plunging skies into a 'communications black hole.' Internet systems also failed, hindering even official communications. Authorities have investigated and ruled out cyberattacks, with the cause of the widespread disruption remaining unknown as systems eventually restored themselves.

The incident led to the unprecedented suspension of flights into and across Greek airspace, stranding thousands of travelers. Aviation safety experts and air traffic controller unions have voiced serious concerns, attributing the failure to outdated and underfunded infrastructure. They cite the continued use of 1990s radio equipment and persistent staffing shortages, exacerbated by the 2009-2018 debt crisis, as critical weaknesses.

While the government asserts that modernization plans are in place, with upgrades due by 2028, critics argue that reforms are too slow. The European Commission has previously referred Greece to the EU Court of Justice for failing to implement certain safety procedures. Unions have threatened further action, including limiting flight arrivals, if systemic deficiencies in air traffic management are not addressed.