Due to a major problem with the radio frequencies of the Greek air traffic control center (FIR Athens), the operation of airports in that country has been completely disrupted, Greek media have reported since the early morning when the problem arose.
The technical problem affects all flights in and out of Greece.
"FIR Athens" (Athens Flight Information Region) - a flight control area in which Greece provides air traffic services from multiple centers, covering the area as far as Brindisi, Rome, Malta, Cairo and Nicosia, as well as Albania, Skopje, Sofia, Istanbul and Izmir.
The Greek Civil Aviation Authority (YPA) said in a statement this afternoon that there had been "massive interference" - disruption on almost all radio frequencies in the Athens FIR, of "unprecedented proportions", adding another dimension to the flight problem that has been ongoing since 08:59 today.
The statement said that a specially equipped plane had been ordered to take off so that technicians with special instruments could investigate the origin of the interference.
The Hellenic Aviation Authority's Crisis Intervention Team is also active, coordinating the movements and actions of all services in operational cooperation with EUROCONTROL - EU air traffic control.
The Greek Civil Aviation Authority announced that along with "massive interference on almost all frequencies serving the Athens Information Zone (FIR), operational communication telephone lines were also out of order."
The noise on the frequencies is "in the form of a continuous, chaotic signal," the statement said.
"This is an unprecedented case in terms of scale, geographic scope and duration," the Administration says.
With flight safety in mind, the Athens Air Traffic Control Center, in close coordination with EUROCONTROL, has reduced the number of aircraft served in the Athens FIR to 35 per hour, and the number has been increased to 45 aircraft per hour from 16:00 local time.
The Greek air traffic control authority explained that only a portion of the overflights are being serviced to maintain safety, and restrictions have been introduced at all Greek airports.
After the partial reopening of Athens International Airport, some flights have resumed.
Due to a major problem with radio communications, arrivals and departures from the largest airport - in Athens - and regional airports have been disabled since 08:59 today, while Thessaloniki Airport is completely closed.
As of 10:25, all departures from all airports in Greece were suspended. A total of 75 flights were delayed and four were canceled.
Passengers wait in lines for hours at overcrowded airports, uncertain whether or when they will be able to travel.
The president of the air traffic controllers' union previously told Athens' RTV SKAI that the radio frequencies are not working and that communication with the planes cannot be established.
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