Problems are being recorded on the radar at Eleftherios Venizelos airport, according to reports of a malfunction in a surveillance system.

The issue is being traced to the radar of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is located in the Merenda area. This particular location is in East Attica, near Markopoulo in Messongaia.

Merenda is an area of historical, archaeological and natural interest, and hosts infrastructure related to the operation of the airport. The competent services are monitoring the development of the issue in order to determine the nature of the damage and restore the operation of the system.

The Air Traffic Controllers’ announcement

“We found ourselves in the same playground this morning, after communication with Merenda Hill was lost again, as it was last August, when the spare part, which the MPA. had been “evaluating” since May 2024 whether it should be acquired and to date has not been delivered.

The Athens Approach, which serves the country’s largest airport, was once again left with only one radar out of three that should normally be operational and without backup frequencies after data transfer to and from Merenda Hill was interrupted.

On 4/1/2026 we faced the unacceptable incident of total loss of communications from the K.E.P.A.T.M, for which we have still not been informed about the causes, while the Administration has not proceeded with the preparation of a safety assessment study, has not even issued operational instructions for traffic management, given that the failure can recur at any time, while the capacities of the sectors remain at 100%, as if nothing has happened.

Today’s failure in the data link with Merenda Hill is not the first time it has happened, which further exposes the YPA management and the relevant directors, since it is a repeat of the same problem that occurred months ago and which the YPA assured that it would not be repeated.

Unfortunately, despite the removal of the previous Director, his colleagues, who bear an equal share of responsibility for the situation in which the Y.P.A. finds itself today, remain, for inexplicable reasons, in the clear. No wonder nothing changes.

It seems that no one in authority has been moved by the humiliation of the Y.P.A., which has been forced to resort to seeking donations to acquire the voice communications system for the K.E.P.A.M., not because the department lacks resources, but because the administration’s choices to pursue for years the revival of a contract that everyone knew was impossible has resulted in the loss of valuable time.

In other respects, the MoD is still to this day pursuing a contract for the new radar system (D.P.S.), whose budget has now reached 160 million euros (up from 76 million euros in 2024 and from 150 million euros a few weeks ago), without the relevant management having presented technical specifications, which is a world first, since a huge amount is being sought to be spent without specifying exactly what system will be delivered. At the same time, the contract for the relocation of the Athens approach, after a delay of 13 months in its signature due to the management’s indifference to the timely renewal of funding, is already 3 months late in its execution because the competent management does not appoint a committee to define the detailed functional specifications (D.F.S.), in a situation identical to the one that led to the termination of the contract for the voice communications system of the K.E.P.A.M, without the system being delivered.

It is now apparent that the pattern followed by the NPS for decades, which led to the lack of safety-critical systems, is being followed unchanged today, at a time when incidents of such magnitude of failures have occurred and when the nation is aware of the magnitude of the problem. Those responsible for acquiring the systems appear to be continuing unabated. The question that needs to be answered, of course, is why they continue to act in the same way and why they remain in place. The Minister and the judiciary must now take action.

One thing is certain, the situation has long since gone beyond the limits of tolerance. As long as this situation continues and as long as no substantial measures are taken to renew the equipment and upgrade the reliability of the existing equipment, Air Traffic Controllers, respecting our duty towards the safety of flights, will take all necessary measures, including capacity reductions, to protect the safety of the travelling public.

Once again, the only safety valve that worked was the Air Traffic Controllers, who for the umpteenth time dealt with the equipment malfunction and were able to guide the aircraft to land safely. But this cannot continue.

Under the present circumstances, we declare, once again, that no overtime will be provided in the coming summer season, since we owe it to the travelling public and the country not to become an alibi so that the leadership of the Hellenic Air Force and the responsible directors continue to operate in the same way, which led the Hellenic Air Force to the current tragic situation.

We are determined to take any action to end the current mentality that exists in the Y.P.A. and has led it to decline, so that the country can have an air navigation service provider worthy of the European ones.”