A surge in flights, staff shortages and ageing infrastructure are increasing pressure on controllers as Greece races to modernise its aviation network.
Euronews – On the screens at the Control Centre in Athens, the symbols representing aircraft form an ever denser network. At the height of the summer season, air traffic controllers are called on to manage thousands of flights in Greek skies that seem to be reaching the limits of their capacity.
Olga Toki, vice-president of the Hellenic Air Traffic Controllers Association, paints a picture of intense strain: Traffic is so heavy, she says, that at certain times it is hard to find any additional space for new aircraft.
The figures illustrate the scale of the burden. According to the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, in low-demand months, Greek airports usually handle around 1,000 to 1,500 flights a day. In the first week of July, however, the daily average soared to 2,700 flights.
The picture is similar across the wider region. Eurocontrol estimates that air traffic in south-eastern Europe, which includes Greek airspace, is about 40% higher than in 2019.
