On Thursday 12 November, the main claim for damages brought by the ‘Environmental Harmony’ and residents of Neapoli, Spata, regarding noise from aircraft at ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ Airport, is scheduled to be heard at the Athens Multi-Member Court of First Instance. This is the first time that the substance of the dispute and the claim for damages are being considered. Until now, the rulings in favour of the residents have concerned interim measures, that is, temporary protection.
The union announced that it is going to court with two court rulings, numbers 3966 and 6771, and with the October readings from the EANS monitoring system, which operates at three locations in Neapolis.
The October figures
According to the figures published by the association, the percentage of readings above the limits was:
- Agia Kyriaki: 66.10% overall, 94.37% at night
- Panorama: 59.51% overall, 93.52% at night
- Agios Ioannis: 48.56% overall, 83.74% at night
The figures are provided by the association and are based on data from its own stations. The airport publishes separate monthly reports for its own station at Artemida. In August, a month which saw a record 4.03 million passengers, 1,495 noise incidents were recorded there.
It is also worth noting a clarification provided by the court itself. In its first ruling on interim measures, the Single-Judge Court of First Instance of Athens had ruled that instantaneous noise levels exceeding 70 decibels do not, in themselves, breach the statutory limits, but may constitute a serious environmental nuisance. How one measures such an ‘exceedance’ is therefore one of the issues to be decided.
What the residents are calling for
The union breaks down the damage into two categories. In terms of health, it attributes 50 per cent to sleep disruption and fragmentation, 30 per cent to constant stress and 20 per cent to physical ailments. As regards property, 45 per cent is attributed to the fall in the market value of homes, 35 per cent to soundproofing costs and 20 per cent to damage caused by low-frequency vibrations. This is the union’s evidence; the aviation authority’s case will be heard in court.
Where is the case?
In the summer, the Single-Judge Court of First Instance gave the Civil Aviation Authority (APA) four months to set up a mechanism to check whether aircraft are complying with the noise abatement take-off procedure (NADP-A), records infringements, imposes penalties and limits the maximum reverse thrust on landing. It also set a fine of 10,000 euros for each instance of non-compliance. In October, in its judgment 6771/2026, the court rejected the APA’s request to revoke the measures, as we reported at the time. The municipalities of Spata–Artemida and Markopoulo had also lodged appeals in the insurance case.
The four months have been running since the summer, so they are drawing to a close. It has not yet been announced whether the APA has activated the mechanism or imposed any sanctions.
In the civil courts, high-profile cases are often adjourned at the first hearing, so 12 November does not necessarily mean a verdict will be handed down. We will provide an update on what happened in the courtroom.
Anyone who is disturbed by a particular flight can report it to the airport, by calling 210 3530003 or by emailing NoiseComplaints@aia.gr, stating the date, time and location. Complaints are recorded in the monthly noise reports.
Source: ‘Environmental Harmony’ association, press release regarding the EANS measurements for October 2026 (republished by irafina.gr, 8 November 2026); Decision 6771/2026 of the Athens Court of First Instance and announcement by the Municipality of Spata–Artemida, 23 October 2026.
