37 FLIGHTS & ALMOST 7,000 RYANAIR PASSENGERS DELAYED BY GREEK ATC INCOMPETENCE

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 2 Sept), called on the EU Commission to urgently reform Europe’s failing ATC system after a Greek ATC equipment failure on Tues (1 Sept) caused widespread disruption across Greek airspace, delaying 37 Ryanair flights and impacting almost 7,000 Ryanair passengers, with delays of up to 3 hours.

This latest Greek ATC system failure is the fourth major ATC failure in Greece in the past 12 months and once again exposes the complete failure of the Greek Government to properly manage and fund its ATC infrastructure. Passengers and airlines continue to pay even higher ATC charges while receiving a steadily deteriorating service. It is unacceptable that passengers travelling to and from one of Europe’s busiest holiday destinations continue to suffer repeated disruption because Greek ATC systems are outdated, underinvested and repeatedly failing. The situation has become so ridiculous that the aviation industry has recently been forced to make donations funding towards basic ATC equipment replacements that should have been financed by the Greek state.

While the EU Commission talks endlessly about competitiveness and efficiency, it continues to tolerate repeated ATC failures across Europe. If Europe’s airports, airlines or passengers delivered such poor performance, there would be immediate consequences. Yet ATC providers continue to escape accountability while passengers pay the price.

The EU Commission must stop issuing press releases and start delivering reform. European passengers deserve a modern, properly staffed and properly funded air traffic control service.

Ryanair Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon said:

“Yesterday’s Greek ATC system failure is yet another unacceptable and unavoidable ATC disruption that has caused delays of up to 3 hours to 37 Ryanair flights and almost 7,000 Ryanair passengers. This is now the fourth major Greek ATC system failure in the last 12 months. Passengers and airlines continue to pay higher ATC charges every year, yet the service they receive gets worse and worse.

Greece is one of the busiest destinations which passengers fly to/from this peak summer and yet its ATC service remains utterly unprepared to deliver a resilient operation as proven by their repeated equipment failures causing widespread disruption to thousands of passengers.

Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission repeatedly promises competitiveness and efficiency, but there is nothing competitive or efficient about repeated ATC failures which unnecessarily disrupt thousands of passengers.

The EU Commission must urgently intervene, force reform of Europe’s failing ATC system and hold those responsible accountable. Europe’s passengers have had enough.”