Systematic efforts have been underway for the past nine months to accelerate air navigation projects, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Dimas told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, following Sunday’s Athens FIR failure in Greek airspace, which has reignited debate over the country’s ageing air traffic control systems. 

The communications failure lasted several hours and disrupted operations at most of the country’s airports, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. 

Authorities have ruled out a cyberattack, though the exact cause remains unknown. Officials acknowledged that the systems were not actively repaired, but instead resumed operation on their own.

“From the outset, the main issue was flight safety, and according to the Civil Aviation Authority and experts, this was not affected at any stage,” Dimas told AMNA.

The incident, he added, was handled in line with established protocols, in cooperation with Eurocontrol, the European air navigation safety organization, and with extensive checks carried out by officials from the Civil Aviation Authority and the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission. 

Dimas said the ministry is “already implementing a comprehensive action plan, in consultation with Eurocontrol and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, which includes 364 specific actions to be implemented by 2028 for the complete modernization of air navigation infrastructure.” He added that “our goal is clear: to strengthen the resilience of the system and provide citizens with reliable services on a permanent basis.” [AMNA]