Athens [Greece], January 5: A telecommunications fault brought air traffic in Greece to an almost complete standstill, public broadcaster ERT reported on Sunday, citing the country's aviation authority.
All Greek airports were affected, with flights bound for Greece rerouted to other destinations. Air traffic began to resume only gradually after several hours.
According to the Greek Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), the problem lay with the central radio and communication systems used by the Greek airspace control centres. The technical problem, which occurred in this form for the first time, is still being investigated, the authority stated. Both the national cybersecurity authority and the Greek intelligence service were called in to look at the problem, ERTNews reported. Initial findings suggested there was a defect at a radio mast about 60 kilometres west of Athens. The intelligence service ruled out sabotage of the mast, while the air traffic controllers' association said there was no indication of a cyberattack.
Source: Qatar Tribune
