Its opposition to a bill to reorganize it Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) expresses Union of Air Traffic Auditorsasking the administration of the Office and the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport to incorporate the proposals they themselves have submitted.
As the auditors point out, “these proposals, in many cases, coincide with those of the European Commission, for the new CAA law”, while demanding that “the necessary assessment and respect for the work of the Air Traffic Auditor”.
The announcement of the Union of Air Traffic Auditors:
“With a sense of responsibility, we would like to inform the passenger public that all Air Traffic Auditors (EEK) serve as many flights as possible daily, employees of extreme under -staffing and lack of modern equipment.
In order to tackle the air traffic volume, which sets a new record every year, the EEKs have accepted to work in the summer with reduced rest days so that the air traffic management system can cope with tourism support pillars in our country.
Having a sense of our duty to the country and the passenger public and being committed to the non -negotiable maintenance of security levels, we have demanded that the CAA administration and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport also assume their responsibilities for the consolidation of the CAA.
On the one hand, the CAA administration has been committed in writing from May 2024 for the following:
The implementation of a gradual replacement program of Surveillance, Communication and Navigation.
Upgrading the credibility and availability of existing equipment by supplying all critical spare parts to the extent possible.
To date, the administration of the CAA has not been able to sign any of the critical contracts for the supply of a new radar system, as well as the communications systems for the approach of Athens and the Athens Macedonian area control center. All he has done is to release successive press releases in which he reproduces the same announcements, simply postponing the dates to implement the supply of critical equipment. A look at what he promised, with the press release dated 1/2/2025, the CAA administration in the first quarter of 2025 and what has been done today (as the third quarter of 2025 ends), is enough for the public to understand that the CAA is simply limited to paper exercises.
The incident on 19/8/2025, with the failure of a critical spare part and the loss of the image of the terminal radar and the reserve frequencies of the Athens approach on Merenda Hill proves that the CAA has not taken care of the country last year. Even today the CAA has not yet supplied this spare.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has also committed to the European Commission to build a law that reorganizes the CAA, turning it into a modern air navigation service provider that meets European regulations.
We have met with the European Commission spokesman dealing with the reorganization of the CAA and have found that we have a common views on the CAA consolidation and that we share the common goal of becoming the CAA a modern provider of aeronautical services that fully implement European regulations.
As early as July we have submitted proposals to the ministry based on an original draft law that has been notified to us. The European Commission also submitted observations. The ministry has chosen not to accept our own observations or the European Commission and presented a draft law worse in public consultation yesterday in public consultation than it initially gave us. It is obvious that the ministry has not even bothering to consider the proposals of employees who will be called upon to implement this bill.
The bill presented in the public consultation contains provisions that not only were never agreed, but not even discussed, thus choosing the method of surprise. Obviously this is not going to be tolerated on our part.
Since the beginning of summer we have served in all air traffic units higher volume than the already increased agreed. Especially for AIA we even serve 36 arrivals per hour although the rated capacity is 22 and the increased capacity agreed is 28. The CAA administration itself by letter to Eurocontrol on 22/8/2025 recognizes the overrun on the agreed limit.
Now after the mockery we exist, it makes no sense to exaggerate ourselves and serve traffic over the already increased agreed levels. Even now we really serve 28 arrivals per hour at AIA which, along with the flights made by up to 33 arrivals per hour. Therefore, no “slow down” air traffic auditors do, as conveniently written as an excuse in some media.
The EEK, especially in the last four (4) summers, have proven that we care about serving the passenger public and upgrading the CAA. The reason that the air traffic system has not collapsed is the sole effort made by the EEK, since the CAA and the Ministry have not made their debt over time.
We sent a letter from 1/9/2025 requesting a meeting with the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Mr. Dimas and we did not even receive an answer. We have again sent him a letter on 22/9/2025 and to date there has been no interest in listening to our suggestions. In the last letter we made it clear that we would stop serving over the already increased limit, of course without receiving an answer. There is no excuse that he did not know the situation or that yesterday’s evolution was sudden.
Despite the efforts to present the problem as “personal differences” or “trade union demands” the reality is unquestionable. The systems are outdated and the bill presented does not meet basic demands of European regulations, which is certified by the European Commission itself that threatens our country with sanctions.
The European Commission spokesman congratulated the Greek EEK. who manage unprecedented volume of traffic, being extremely under -staffed and employees with such outdated systems. The data presented by Eurocontrol prove that the EEK. of the CAA are the fifth most productive among 38 providers across Europe, despite the fact that the conditions in which the Greek EEK works. It is worse than anywhere else in the rest of Europe, even in the Balkans.
We call on the administrations of the CAA and the Ministry to assume their responsibilities and not to seek excuses by accusing the EEK, who are the ones who are always called upon to bear the burden of malice and to deal with the problem on their own. Our patience is exhausted and we no longer tolerate any mockery. We also call on the Ministry and the administration of the CAA to implement what has been committed, evaluated and integrate our proposals, which in many cases coincide with those of the European Commission, for the new CAA law and to show the necessary assessment and respect for the Air Traffic Auditor. “