A major radio-frequency outage in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) early Tuesday paralysed Greek airspace and triggered cascading delays for flights linking Cyprus with the rest of Europe. Greek controllers suspended departures for almost two hours, sending eight aircraft back to stands and diverting three inbound services. The knock-on effect hit Larnaca and Paphos where Aegean and Sky Express had to cancel or retime services, stranding about 500 passengers.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
Cyprus’ airport operator Hermes said airlines are now filing longer routings that skirt the Athens FIR entirely, adding up to 40 minutes flight time and raising fuel costs. Ryanair warned customers that its Paphos–Athens rotation may be cancelled if slot restrictions persist.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
![Greek Air-Traffic Radio Failure Ripples into Cyprus, Forcing Reroutes and Delays]()
For travellers suddenly rerouted through unfamiliar airports, transit or short-stay visa requirements can shift just as rapidly as flight plans. VisaHQ’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) provides up-to-date entry information and rapid online processing for Schengen, Turkish and other visas that passengers might unexpectedly need, smoothing the way when every minute counts.
Technical teams from Greece’s National Telecommunications Committee are investigating the root cause, but initial reports point to a software glitch in a newly installed VHF network. Until full capacity is restored, controllers are clearing departures at rigid four-minute intervals regardless of aircraft size, creating an extensive backlog.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
Corporate travel managers with same-day connections through Athens should seek alternative routings via Istanbul or direct services into hubs such as Vienna or Frankfurt. Logistics firms moving just-in-time goods via Cyprus airfreight corridors are advised to activate sea-air contingency plans to buffer against further disruption.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
Cyprus’ airport operator Hermes said airlines are now filing longer routings that skirt the Athens FIR entirely, adding up to 40 minutes flight time and raising fuel costs. Ryanair warned customers that its Paphos–Athens rotation may be cancelled if slot restrictions persist.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
For travellers suddenly rerouted through unfamiliar airports, transit or short-stay visa requirements can shift just as rapidly as flight plans. VisaHQ’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) provides up-to-date entry information and rapid online processing for Schengen, Turkish and other visas that passengers might unexpectedly need, smoothing the way when every minute counts.
Technical teams from Greece’s National Telecommunications Committee are investigating the root cause, but initial reports point to a software glitch in a newly installed VHF network. Until full capacity is restored, controllers are clearing departures at rigid four-minute intervals regardless of aircraft size, creating an extensive backlog.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
Corporate travel managers with same-day connections through Athens should seek alternative routings via Istanbul or direct services into hubs such as Vienna or Frankfurt. Logistics firms moving just-in-time goods via Cyprus airfreight corridors are advised to activate sea-air contingency plans to buffer against further disruption.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
