ATHENS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- All flights in and out of Greece were suspended on Sunday after a nationwide communications failure disrupted air traffic control systems, Greek state broadcaster ERT reported.
The problem occurred at around 9:35 a.m. local time (0735 GMT), affecting Greek airspace and halting arrivals and departures at Athens International Airport as well as regional airports.
According to initial information, the disruption was caused by a malfunction in the central radio communication systems of the Athens and Macedonia area control centers, leading to the closure of the Athens Flight Information Region. Only aircraft already in the air were being handled, while many other flights were diverted to Türkiye.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded at airports, with repeated announcements informing travelers that flights had been suspended due to a technical issue. ■
