Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” is facing major operational problems, with widespread delays turning departures into long ordeals for passengers.
On July 21, most flights — both arrivals and departures — ran significantly behind schedule. Many travelers were stuck waiting for one to three hours or more.
Nathan, an Australian traveler and follower of Greek City Times, shared video footage as he was leaving Greece. He told us it took him nearly 3 hours to finally get out of the airport.
“This is one of the worst departure experiences I’ve had from Athens,” Nathan said.
Record Traffic Straining the System
According to Eurocontrol, Greece ranks among the worst countries in Europe for flight delays, recording a 63% increase compared to last year. The main causes are capacity limitations and chronic staffing shortages in air traffic control.
On July 18, Greek airspace handled a record 5,082 flights in a single day — the highest daily total ever recorded.
The delays created a domino effect, particularly during evening hours. For example, between 18:00–19:00 on July 21, only 7 out of 24 arriving flights were on time, while all departures were delayed.
Efforts to Improve
In response to the crisis, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority swore in 45 new air traffic controllers on July 20. However, with peak summer traffic expected to continue through August and early September, significant delays are likely to persist.