Alpha News

No Flight Safety Issues Despite Athens FIR Blackout

Published January 5, 2026, 10:32

A prolonged blackout on radio frequencies in the Athens FIR did not cause any problems for flight safety, according to Chrysanthos Chrysanthou, President of the Mediterranean Flight Safety Foundation (FSF-MED). Information suggests the problem was due to equipment upgrades, and Cypriot authorities were able to manage flights avoiding Greek airspace. Mr. Chrysanthou stated that the number of flights passing through Cypriot airspace increased significantly as aircraft chose this route to avoid communication issues with Greek air traffic control. Furthermore, there were no problems with the transfer of data from Greek airspace to others, as controllers had the necessary information. No external interference has been confirmed, while the need for system modernization and better cooperation between stakeholders was highlighted.