- Air traffic controllers had announced a four-hour work stoppage for August 28
- The strike was linked to ADEDY’s 24-hour national action against government policies
- Controllers warned of “predicted aviation crime” and safety risks at airports
- Athens court ruled the work stoppage illegal, ensuring flights will operate as scheduled
From Protest to Prohibition
The Greek Air Traffic Controllers Association (GATCA) had pledged to join ADEDY’s nationwide strike on August 28, staging a four-hour work stoppage between 09:30 and 13:30. Their statement was sharp: controllers accused the government of “forcing silence” with a new disciplinary law and warned that the rush to maximize air traffic flow was undermining safety.
“Air traffic controllers, who are witnessing a predicted aviation crime before our eyes, will not tolerate the silence that the government is trying to impose,” their declaration read. They pointed to the August 20 breakdown of systems at Athens International Airport as a symptom of mounting risks, noting that hourly arrivals sometimes reach 34, well beyond safe capacity.
The union accused the government of dismantling the Civil Aviation Authority, dividing responsibilities, and pushing them toward privatization.
TheCourt’ss Decision
Despite the charged rhetoric, the Monomeles Court of Athens intervened. On August 27, it ruled the four-hour strike unlawful, obliging controllers to remain on duty. The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that operations will proceed without disruption.
AEGEAN and Olympic Air quickly reassured travelers that all scheduled flights—both domestic and international—will operate normally on August 28.
What was meant as a dramatic show of resistance against state policy has, for now, been grounded in the courtroom. Yet the grievances raised by controllers—about safety, secrecy, and creeping privatization—remain unresolved, hovering like turbulence just beyond the horizon of Greece’s air corridors.
