Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000764/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Kostas Papadakis (NI)
In Greece, employees of the Civil Aviation Authority complain that the problem of staff shortages is growing, particularly in critical divisions, such as the Athens and Macedonia Region Control Centre, which monitors most flights within the FIR/UIR. Staff numbers for this region have been halved despite air traffic doubling. There are more than 100 vacant posts across the country.
For the past seven years there have been warnings about the fact that the collision avoidance system in the control tower of Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, which warns when aircraft are on a collision course, is not functioning, meaning that the air traffic controller on duty ‘does not receive a notification from the system and, therefore, the avoidance of incidents depends solely on the operational acumen and readiness of the controller’.
In light of the above:
- 1.What view does the Commission take of the fact that the Single European Sky guidelines, for example concerning the pursuit of profit by monopolistic business groups, lead to understaffed civil aviation services, major work intensification and to corners being cut in terms of safety measures and modern safety systems, increasing the risk of major aviation ‘accidents’/crimes?
- 2.What view does it take of the fact that the so-called unification of European airspace in the name of ‘single European borders’ goes against the sovereign rights of Member States – essentially stripping them of the power to control and manage their national airspace, entailing serious consequences and risks for their defence security – and is combined with dangerous NATO and EU military planning?
Submitted: 19.2.2025