Balgarianovinite.com Outdated and poorly maintained communication systems – not foreign interference or a cyberattack – were responsible for the temporary shutdown of Greek airspace on January 4, according to the findings of a special investigative commission, Greek daily Proto Thema reported.
The report concludes that failures in obsolete technological systems caused an eight-hour breakdown in radio communications between air traffic controllers and aircraft. The systems involved are no longer supported by their manufacturers and lack modern monitoring and diagnostic tools, significantly increasing the risk of similar incidents. The report also warns that delays in transitioning to modern digital communication infrastructure heighten the likelihood of a recurrence.
EUROCONTROL, the European organization for aviation safety, is expected to appoint a technical adviser to help accelerate the modernization of Greece’s air navigation systems, according to the same report.
Air traffic controllers view the findings as confirmation of their long-standing complaints about outdated equipment and insufficient safety guarantees, Proto Thema added. The investigative commission determined that the large-scale failure was triggered by malfunctions in aging systems that are no longer maintained and lack contemporary fault-monitoring capabilities.
Shortly before 9:00 a.m. local time on January 4, controllers began detecting intense and persistent “digital noise” on frequencies used to communicate with aircraft, Proto Thema reported. Communication with planes, control centers, and airports became extremely difficult or impossible, including on backup and emergency frequencies—creating what the outlet described as an unprecedented situation.
For safety reasons, authorities suspended all departures and imposed “zero capacity” in Greek airspace. Dozens of aircraft already airborne were handled under special emergency procedures. Despite the seriousness of the incident, the report found no events posing an immediate threat to flight safety, attributing this to the timely response of controllers and flight crews.
The commission explicitly ruled out a cyberattack or deliberate interference, stating that inspections found no evidence of unauthorized access or external signal transmission, and that all indications point to a technical failure, Proto Thema reported.
Following the release of the report, the head of Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority, Giorgos Saounatsos, submitted his resignation, local media reported. Earlier, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Christos Dimas had requested his resignation, which was subsequently accepted.
Greek public broadcaster ERT reported that Deputy Civil Aviation Authority head Giorgos Vagenas will temporarily assume the role, while procedures to appoint a new chief are launched. According to ERT, the five-member government-appointed investigative commission said the precise technical cause of the outage remains unclear, but noted that the incident occurred after several systems lost synchronization, leading to a collapse in communications between control towers and aircraft. Outdated Systems, Not Cyberattack, Behind Greek Airspace Shutdown, Civil Aviation Chief Resigns 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-14 17:35:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law