Air traffic congestion over Athens causes delays
During peak hours at Athens Airport, delays due to increased air traffic have become the norm rather than the exception, affecting most of the flight schedule.
Following the return to normalcy, the explosive demand for air travel and Greece’s strengthened position on the global tourism map are testing the capacity limits of the country’s largest airport, particularly in air traffic control.
These pressures are reflected in data released by Eurocontrol, the European organization for air traffic management. According to the “Performance Review Report” for 2024, Athens “continued to face significant delays due to limitations in air traffic controller (ATC) capacity,” especially from April to September, during the summer season.
In 2024, Athens ranked fifth among the 30 largest airports in Europe for the highest arrival delays due to air traffic flow management (ATFM). The average delay time was 3.46 minutes per arrival.
This delay reflects the time an aircraft remains grounded before takeoff, allowing its arrival in Athens to align with the permitted airspace capacity limits. While 3.46 minutes may seem minor, this average includes winter flights, where delays are often minimal or nonexistent. In May 2024, for example, the average delay surged to 9 minutes per arrival, highlighting the strong seasonal fluctuations. Moreover, this delay adds to the daily schedule of each flight, significantly burdening the system – especially during peak periods when the airport handles up to 1,000 flights per day.
“If there are no improvements, such as staff reinforcement and system upgrades – which is unlikely to happen in the next three to four years – the situation with delays is not expected to improve,” Panagiotis Psaros, president of the Greek Association of Air Traffic Controllers, told Kathimerini. He added, “Safety remains the primary priority.”
“In any case, controllers are making every effort to manage delays,” he said.
At the same time, delays come with costs for airlines. According to Psaros, a European study found that each minute of delay cost airlines €119 in 2023.
