A significant technical failure within Greece's national air traffic control system plunged the country's airspace into chaos on Sunday, 4 January 2026, leading to the cancellation and delay of hundreds of flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Technical Glitch Grounds Greek Skies
The Hellenic Aviation Service Provider, which manages the nation's air navigation, confirmed a serious technical issue affecting its radio frequency systems. This critical failure forced a severe reduction in the capacity of Greek airspace, effectively bringing a large portion of air traffic to a standstill.
The disruption impacted all flight operations to, from, and within Greece, creating a domino effect across European and international routes. Major carriers including Aegean Airlines, EasyJet, British Airways, and Ryanair were compelled to cancel or divert a significant number of their services.
Widespread Disruption and Passenger Impact
The fallout was immediate and severe. Airports across Greece, with Athens International Airport at the epicentre, saw departure halls fill with confused and frustrated travellers. Numerous flights destined for Greek airports were forced to divert to alternative destinations.
Affected aircraft were rerouted to airports in several neighbouring countries, including Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Albania, and Cyprus. This left passengers hundreds of miles from their intended holiday or business destinations, with uncertain onward travel arrangements.
As engineers worked to resolve the system fault, flights began a gradual resumption process. However, the backlog of disruptions meant delays and cancellations continued to ripple through schedules long after systems started coming back online.
Passenger Rights and Entitlements
For the thousands of travellers caught up in the chaos, understanding passenger rights is crucial. Under EU air passenger rights regulations (EC 261/2004), which continue to apply to UK airlines and flights departing from the UK, passengers on cancelled flights are entitled to specific care and assistance.
Key entitlements for affected passengers include:
- The right to be rerouted to their final destination at the earliest opportunity.
- Care provisions such as meals, refreshments, and, if necessary, hotel accommodation.
- For significant delays and cancellations, financial compensation may also be applicable, depending on the cause of the disruption.
Passengers are advised to contact their airline directly for rebooking and to keep all receipts for any necessary expenses incurred due to the disruption. The technical nature of the failure likely classes it as an 'extraordinary circumstance', which can affect compensation claims, but does not absolve airlines of their duty of care.
