The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) has released an official update regarding airport delays in Greece, countering recent reports that suggested a 63% increase in delays compared to the same period in the previous year based on Eurocontrol data. While Eurocontrol figures indicated that Greece was responsible for 13% of all delays across the European air transport network during the final week of June, the HCAA maintains that these statistics require careful interpretation.
According to the HCAA, the data primarily reflects air traffic flow management (ATFM) delays at the European network level. The authority explained that these delays are genuine and have risen across various European providers due to seasonal demand and geopolitical shifts that have forced changes in regional flight patterns. However, the HCAA cautioned that these indicators should not be equated with the actual passenger experience at airports or used to calculate the average delay time for individual flights.
Highlighting the situation at Athens International Airport, the HCAA reported that the average delay per flight due to air traffic in June was 4.43 minutes. This marks a significant improvement over the 6.50 minutes recorded in June of last year, representing a reduction of more than two minutes, with total delays decreasing by 31.77%.
The HCAA emphasized that despite the growing pressures on the European network and Greek airspace, the operational impact is more limited than the impression created by focusing on a single indicator. Furthermore, the authority noted that air traffic continues to surge, with 4,925 flights recorded on Saturday, 4 July 2026, exceeding the previous record of 4,916 flights set on 10 August 2025. In response to this high volume, the HCAA stated that efforts to ensure the smooth handling of flights remain constant and ongoing.
