Donation agreement paves the way to fix critical Athens FIR communication systems

The donation agreement was signed by the Governor of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, Giorgos Vagenas, together with representatives of the contributing companies, namely: the CEO of Athens International Airport S.A., Georgios Kallimasis; the CEO of FRAPORT GREECE, Alexander Paul Zinell; the Chief Financial Officer of FRAPORT GREECE, Evangelos Balta; the Deputy Chief Financial Officer of AEGEAN AIRLINES, Styliani Dimaraki; the owner of SKY EXPRESS S.A., Ioannis Gryllos; and the Chief Legal Counsel and General Manager of Legal Affairs and Corporate Governance of the GEK TERNA Group, Giannis Kourniotis.

It is recalled that at the end of January, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Christos Dimas, had invited the companies to cover the cost of €4.7 million, including VAT, in order to immediately procure and install the systems. This step followed the blockage by the Court of Audit, which had temporarily prevented the reactivation of the relevant contract necessary for completing the procurement and installation of the systems.

The outdated systems had caused a serious technical failure in the radio communications of the Athens FIR, leading to a disruption of communication between pilots and air traffic controllers across nearly all normally operational frequencies on Sunday, 4 January 2026. According to the findings of a special committee established to investigate the incident, the existing Voice Communication System (VCS) of the HCAA, along with the critical telecommunications infrastructure supporting it, relies on obsolete SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) technology. This technology is no longer supported by the manufacturer, meaning that it cannot provide reliable guarantees for uninterrupted operation.

Reason for the Court of Audit Blockage
The Court of Audit had determined that the modification/reactivation of the contract did not meet the necessary legal requirements—particularly regarding the timely and lawful submission for legality review and the complete documentation of the contract file—resulting in the conclusion that the contract could not be lawfully approved and activated.

According to the Court of Audit, failing to submit a public contract (or a modification thereof) for review before its signature or implementation—especially when it involves a substantive amendment—renders the contract automatically invalid. Retroactive approval is only permitted in exceptional cases, justified by overriding public interest, and explicitly provided for by law.