Massive FIR interference limits flight takeoffs, arrivals

Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority (YPA) has reported a monolithic interference, of unprecedented dimensions, connected astir each frequencies of the Athens formation accusation portion (FIR).

The interference meant that, earlier connected Sunday, the Greek airspace was closed, resulting successful the regulation of craft landings and take-offs and the partial paralysis of traffic astatine the country’s airports. Traffic began to gradually retrieve successful the afternoon, but it has not yet been clarified what precisely caused the problem.
The afloat YPA announcement is arsenic follows:
“On 4/1/2026 astatine 08:59 section time, the Service encountered monolithic interference connected astir each frequencies serving the Athens FIR, while astatine the aforesaid clip the HELLAS COM lines arsenic well arsenic the operational connection telephone lines were down. The “noise” observed connected the frequencies was successful the signifier of continuous, involuntary emission. The CAA’s electronics (team), successful coordination with OTE technicians, made contiguous efforts to place and repair the problem. This is an unprecedented incidental successful terms of its massiveness, geographical grade and temporal persistence.

The Service’s Crisis Response Team was convened successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday…at the Athens Area Control Center, with the information of the Deputy Commander of Air Navigation, the General Director of Air Navigation arsenic well arsenic each the heads of the competent technical and operational Directorates. The Team is successful changeless coordination and teleconferences with outer bodies, arsenic well arsenic successful operational practice with EUROCONTROL for the optimal absorption of the Athens F.I.R.

At the aforesaid time, the HCAA electronics were mobilized successful each determination units of transmission and reception systems, including successful Hymettus, Pelion, Thassos, Akarnanika, Monastiri and Gerania, successful bid to transportation retired an on-site inspection of the transmission systems.

During the (early afternoon) hours, the specially equipped HCAA craft was ordered to take disconnected urgently, with the information of the Service’s electronics and a special (Hellenic Telecommunications & Posts Commission – EETT) technician, for the targeted probe of airborne interference.

With formation information successful mind, the Athens Area Control Center, successful adjacent coordination with EUROCONTROL, proceeded to trim the fig of craft served successful the Athens F.I.R. to 35 craft per hour, a fig that accrued to 45 craft per hr aft 16:00 section time.”