Radio Glitch Grounds Greece: Outdated Aviation Systems Under Scrutiny

On Sunday, 4th January, travellers at airports all through Greece discovered themselves stranded by what has ultimately been decided as a glitch affecting the nation’s outdated aviation communication methods.

Per a report printed by Reuters on Monday, fifth January, air visitors controllers at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelosere (AIA) had been guiding planes towards the runway when radio communications failed, bewilderingly changed by a high-pitched whistling noise.

Two controllers and a member of airport administration at AIA who had been on responsibility in the course of the prevalence stated that controllers nearly instantly misplaced contact with the majority of plane throughout the nation’s airspace on the time, together with a number of dozen plane on the verge of touchdown.

While the problem continues to be beneath investigation as of press time, the Greek Civil Aviation Authority is severely wanting on the outdated tools nonetheless in use in airports all through the nation.

Unprecedented, however…

As specialists interviewed by In-Cyprus identified, the unusual whistling noise heard when communications went useless usually have an effect on only one transmission centre at a time.

Otherwise, these happen as remoted incidents which have been efficiently addressed prior to now.

While Greek authorities say that this present scenario is unprecedented, it could be recalled {that a} related incident affected airport operations on a worldwide cut back in July 2024.

In that case, nevertheless, it was decided that the breakdown was brought on by a bug in the newest replace for cybersecurity answer CrowdStrike, a system utilized by virtually each airport on the earth.

For the Greek scenario, nevertheless, it’s changing into clearer that this will likely not essentially be a software program problem and investigators have critical doubts that the nation’s airports had been hit by an internet assault.

Indeed, the problem could have been because of one thing that has wanted to be addressed for some time now: communications methods at these airports have lengthy wanted upgrades if not outright alternative.

At current, Greek airports use circuits from nationwide telecommunications supplier OTE, which has assured the general public as of fifth January that the stated circuits are absolutely operational. 

Despite this, some specialists have identified that a lot of Greece’s airport communications infrastructure wants critical refurbishment or full alternative with trendy, extra dependable tools.

It must be famous that the Greek Air Traffic Controllers Union launched a press release declaring: “Today’s situation did not arise suddenly; it was pre-announced.”

The union has likewise demanded that airport officers conduct a direct overhaul of facility methods all through the nation.

So, what occurs now?

As of Monday, the Greek authorities has emphatically declared airport modernisation is at the moment ongoing and that the set up of latest communications tools nationwide might be achieved a while in 2028.

Officials additionally claimed that these new methods might be compliant with the related requirements set by the European Union for airport communications.

Ironically, as of December 2025, the European Commission really known as out the Greek authorities for failing to implement sure navigation procedures designed to spice up security in low-visibility situations.

For many airport employees all through Greece, nevertheless, any kind of upgrades will come too little, too late.

As Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers Pangiotis Psarros put it: “This incident as soon as once more exposes the essential weaknesses of outdated and underfunded air visitors administration infrastructure. Safety was maintained because of human experience, however this can’t proceed to compensate for systemic deficiencies.”