Greece’s aviation authorities have defended the country’s air traffic management system after new data showed a sharp rise in flight delays, saying the figures should be viewed in the wider context of growing pressure on Europe’s airspace rather than as a reflection of passengers’ overall travel experience.
The response came after reports citing Eurocontrol data indicated that delays affecting flights linked to Greece have increased by 63 percent compared with the same period last year. During the final week of June, Greece accounted for 13 percent of all delays recorded across the European air transport network, placing the issue high on the government’s agenda.
The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) acknowledged that delays have risen but stressed that the increase is largely tied to air traffic flow management across Europe, where seasonal travel demand and geopolitical developments have altered flight routes and placed additional strain on airspace.
The authority noted that air traffic reached a new record on 4 July, with 4,925 flights handled in a single day, surpassing the previous high of 4,916 flights recorded on 10 August 2025. It said aviation officials continue to work to ensure the smooth movement of aircraft despite the surge in demand.
According to the HCAA, Eurocontrol’s delay figures measure network-wide air traffic management performance rather than the actual delays experienced by passengers at airports. Officials argued that using a single indicator without additional context could create a misleading impression of operational performance.
Operational data released by the authority showed that the average delay at the Athens-Macedonia Area Control Centre during June 2026 was 2.26 minutes per flight, compared with 1.62 minutes during the same month last year. When weather disruptions and other external factors are excluded, the average delay falls to 0.97 minutes, only slightly above the 0.85-minute average recorded in June 2025.
Performance at Athens International Airport showed a different trend. The average delay attributed to air traffic management was 4.43 minutes per flight in June, down from 6.50 minutes a year earlier. Total delays at the airport also declined by 31.77 percent over the same period.
The HCAA said these figures demonstrate that Greece’s aviation system continues to cope effectively despite increasing traffic volumes and wider challenges affecting European airspace.
European aviation has experienced another busy summer season, with strong travel demand combining with airspace restrictions linked to regional conflicts and changing flight corridors. Authorities across the continent have warned that such pressures are expected to continue during the peak holiday period, making close coordination between national air navigation services and Eurocontrol increasingly important.
