April 7, 2016
U.S. Embassy Athens, Greece
The U.S. Embassy in Athens informs U.S. citizens residing in or traveling in Greece of the possibility of disruptions due to a planned air traffic controllers strike. All domestic and international flights to and from all Greek airports scheduled for Thursday, April 7, have been cancelled due to a strike by air traffic controllers and civil aviation employees. The 24-hour strike will run from midnight on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday. Other public employees have also announced strikes for the same period. They include public service employees, municipal employees, mass media employees, and public school teachers. Public hospital and ambulance services will operate with reduced staff.
We recommend you maintain a high level of security awareness. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. You should avoid areas of demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.
The U.S. Embassy maintains a website with information about anticipated demonstrations, rallies, and strikes. We encourage all U.S. citizens to review their personal security plans, remain aware of their surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. U.S. citizens should maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance their personal security.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts (including the Europe Travel Alert), and Greece.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- In case of an emergency, contact the U.S. Embassy in Athens, located at 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, at (+30) 210-720-2414, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Monday through Friday except U.S. and Greek holidays. The after-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is (+30) 210-729-4444. You can email the U.S. Embassy in Athens at AthensAmericanCitizenServices@state.gov.
- If you are a U.S. citizen in the Thessaloniki district with an emergency during office hours, contact the U.S. Consulate General in Thessaloniki by telephone at (+30) 231-024-2905; after hours, contact the U.S. Embassy in Athens at (+30) 210-729-4444.
- Call +1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or +1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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