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Flight to Cyprus Returns to Athens After Airspace Alert, Passengers Opt to Stay

Published March 4, 2026, 14:13
Flight to Cyprus Returns to Athens After Airspace Alert, Passengers Opt to Stay

A “military incident” in Cyprus’ airspace triggered an alert and led to the scrambling of Greek F-16s. The morning Aegean flight from Athens was forced to wait in the air before landing, but ultimately returned to Athens. Approximately half of the passengers chose not to re-board the return flight, due to fear of escalation in the Middle East and potential attacks on Cyprus. Passengers reported that the plane circled over Cyprus before being instructed to return to Athens, expressing their concerns about safety.