Greece’s air traffic controllers are staging a series of 24-hour relay strikes in October 2026, with all flights to and from Greek airports cancelled on five separate dates. The first walkout started this morning (5 October); further strike days are confirmed for 9, 10, 12 and 13 October.
What Is Causing the Strike
The Union of Air Traffic Controllers is protesting a draft government bill that would restructure civil aviation oversight bodies in Greece. The union has chosen relay strikes - sequential one-day stoppages - rather than a continuous walkout, which creates a pattern of repeated full-day disruptions across the month rather than one extended shutdown.
Which Dates Are Affected
All flights to and from Greek airports are expected to be fully cancelled on the following dates:
- 5 October (today - ongoing)
- 9 October
- 10 October
- 12 October
- 13 October
Olympic Air has confirmed cancellation of domestic routes out of Athens on today’s strike day, including services to Leros, Kythira and Paros. International carriers serving Athens International Airport have also cancelled or reorganised services affecting routes from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and other European markets.
What to Do If You Are Travelling on a Strike Date
Contact your airline immediately if you have a flight to or from Greece on any of the five affected dates. Under EU261/2004 rules, passengers whose flights are cancelled due to an ATC strike at an EU airport are typically entitled to a rebooking on an alternative date or a full refund.
Practical steps:
- Check your airline’s app for flight status and rebooking options.
- Request an alternative date - 6–8 October and 11 October are currently unaffected.
- Consider ferry connections for inter-island travel on disrupted days; ferries from Piraeus are not affected by the ATC action.
Travellers with island-hopping itineraries that begin or end with a flight through Athens should check their first and last legs specifically, as even a single cancelled connection can unravel a multi-stop trip.
We will update this article if additional strike dates are announced or the dispute is resolved.