Ryanair Criticizes Greece’s Air Traffic Control Infrastructure as Controllers Respond to Latest Disruption
- Gary Fradelos
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
ATHENS – Ryanair has renewed its criticism of Greece’s air traffic management system following another major technical failure that disrupted operations across Greek airspace, affecting thousands of passengers and prompting fresh calls for reforms at both national and European level.
According to the airline, a malfunction in Greece’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) infrastructure on 1 September delayed 37 Ryanair flights, impacting nearly 7,000 passengers, with some flights arriving up to three hours behind schedule.
In a strongly worded statement, the Irish low-cost carrier described the incident as the fourth major ATC system failure in Greece within the past 12 months, arguing that repeated technical breakdowns expose long-standing weaknesses in the country’s air navigation infrastructure. Ryanair also claims that airlines and passengers continue to pay increasing air traffic control charges while the quality and reliability of the service continues to decline.
The airline called on both the Greek Government and the European Commission to accelerate investment in Greece’s air traffic control infrastructure and push forward long-discussed reforms to Europe’s fragmented ATC network. Ryanair argues that Greece, one of Europe’s busiest leisure destinations during the summer season, requires a modern, adequately funded and properly staffed air traffic management system capable of handling peak traffic without repeated technical failures.
Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon described the latest disruption as “unacceptable and avoidable,” stating that thousands of passengers once again experienced significant delays because of infrastructure failures that should have been prevented through proper maintenance and long-term investment. Ryanair also criticized the European Commission for failing to hold national air navigation service providers accountable, arguing that repeated ATC failures continue to impact passengers across Europe while meaningful reform remains slow.
The airline’s remarks prompted a response from Panagiotis Psarros, President of the Greek Air Traffic Controllers Association, who acknowledged that Greece’s air traffic control system is operating with ageing equipment and requires modernization. Speaking to SKAI radio, Psarros confirmed that technical issues do exist within the system but stressed that flight safety was never compromised during the incident.
According to Psarros, the technical malfunction affected communications between Crete and the Athens Area Control Centre, resulting in delays as air traffic controllers implemented established contingency procedures. He emphasized that the systems designed to safeguard flight operations functioned as intended, allowing aircraft to continue operating safely despite the disruption. He also noted that while investment in new equipment is necessary, air traffic controllers have repeatedly highlighted these infrastructure needs to the relevant authorities.
The latest incident has once again drawn attention to the resilience of Greece’s air traffic management system at a time when the country continues to handle record passenger volumes. With tourism and aviation representing key pillars of the Greek economy, maintaining reliable air navigation services is widely regarded as essential during the busy summer season.
The differing positions presented by Ryanair and Greece’s air traffic controllers illustrate two sides of the same issue. While the airline argues that repeated technical failures are causing unacceptable disruption for passengers and calls for urgent reforms, controllers maintain that, despite the ageing infrastructure and operational challenges, established safety procedures ensured that at no point was the safety of flights placed at risk.
Sources
1. Ryanair calls for urgent EU action after yet another Greek ATC system failure
2. Ryanair targets Greece’s air traffic control infrastructure
3. P. Psarros on SKAI: Flight safety was never at risk
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