The European Commission has decided to refer Greece to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to take the necessary measures to establish and publish performance-based navigation (PBN) procedures at Greek airports, as required by a specific EU regulation.

According to the European Commission, “the implementation of the PBN regulation brings benefits in terms of safety, capacity, environment and cost-effectiveness. The use of modern technology and procedures in air traffic management (“ATM”) improves safety and provides better tools for air traffic controllers and operators. This will increase capacity in Greek airspace and at Greek airports, which means fewer delays. The implementation of the missing PBN approach procedures will provide vertical guidance to pilots, which will increase their situational awareness. These capabilities will increase safety and airport accessibility, especially in low visibility conditions.”

Meanwhile, the EU executive notes that “Greece has not published the required PBN approach procedures at 44 runway ends, which should have been published by December 2020. Each runway has two ends depending on the direction in which the pilot is heading when using a runway. The replies of the Greek authorities to the Commission’s letter of formal notice of April 2024 and the reasoned opinion of December 2024 did not provide satisfactory evidence on the implementation of the PBN approach procedures at Greek airports nor on the implementation of the corrective measures that the Greek authorities should have implemented. While the Commission acknowledges the efforts of the Greek authorities to take the necessary measures, at this stage, the Commission considers that progress has been insufficient and therefore refers Greece to the Court of Justice of the European Union.”

Sources in Brussels, explaining the referral of Greece on this particular issue, noted:

What is the issue with air traffic management in Greece?

The European Commission has found that structural changes are needed in the air traffic management sector in Greece. Currently, Greece lags behind other Member States in terms of air traffic management developments, as it does not meet three critical European Union (EU) requirements that should have been implemented by 2020. As a result, the Commission has opened infringement procedures against Greece for delays in adopting key technologies such as data link communication services, the use of modern radar, and the publication of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures.

According to the same sources, the Greek Transport Ministry has submitted an action plan to the Commission to comply with EU regulations on air traffic management. With these actions, the Greek Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will begin to gradually integrate the technologies and publish the required procedures. The CAA will submit regular progress reports, allowing the Commission to monitor the implementation of the action plan and assess the risks and corrective measures to address any delays.

The Commission will continue to closely monitor the situation in Greece, in cooperation with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL.

Sources in Brussels stress that flights in Greece are safe, but Athens is being asked to replace outdated radar technology. According to the same sources, civil aviation flights are operated under common EU rules on aviation safety, under the supervision of the Greek Civil Aviation Authority, and with the support of the European Union Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation (EASA). However, there are concerns that Greece has not yet fully installed the advanced radars that will replace the obsolete radars. In addition, Greece has not implemented all the required performance-based navigation (PBN) procedures. If these gaps are urgently addressed, safety will be further enhanced.

Modernising technology in the air traffic management system will improve safety and provide better tools for air traffic controllers. This, in turn, will increase capacity in Greek airspace and at Greek airports, which means fewer delays.

Improved capacity will also benefit Greece’s economy, particularly its tourism industry. By optimizing air traffic service routes and instrument approach procedures, the use of PBN procedures in air traffic management and air navigation services brings several benefits, such as improved safety, increased capacity, reduced environmental impact, and increased economic efficiency.

Landing operations at Greek airports are currently safe. However, the implementation of the PBN approach procedures missing at Greek airports will allow pilots to land with vertical guidance, further improving the safety of flight operations, the same Brussels sources said.