petakas wrote:
send an email to the handler of the airport you want explaining the flight’s details (aircraft, passengers, technical stop or not etc.)
I sent an e-mail to Swissport Greece about possibility of tech stop at Athens LGAV for my visit planned for begining of July (the plan is to land at LGAV, clear customs & immigration and hop to Megara LGMG for few days of parking).
My experience: They do not accept the technical landing at the airport of entry … I asked twice
Emir wrote:
I sent an e-mail to Swissport Greece
Its usually best to send the email to the AIRPORT handler’s offices, not the main office ;-) but I believe it is so if Alexis searched the issue and it cannot be done.
Reason is you are using their GA facility (lounge, luxurious full facilities lounge to be exact) to “enter Greece” – you have to, Policemen are there to check ID’s and scan you back for reentry to apron – and then exit again to the apron to continue onwards to your destination.
If you were coming from Greece, stopping over for fuel only (not even a visit to the loo LOL! ) and continuing within Greece most probably they would accept it.
what_next wrote:
This aggressive expansion would have come anyway – with or without Fraport operating the airports. It is caused by the current situation in Turkey (and also Egypt) which redirects part of the tourist streams to Greece. The Greek airports would be stupid if they would not take the opportunity and make the best of it – after all, it serves the whole country. Instead of whining about a few restrictions to GA we all should be glad that Greece finally has a chance to prosper economically.
You are so right. I therefore have elected to charter with some other friends a 35 meter yacht out of Italy touring the Mediterranean for 1 week. About an increase of 40% in the price for 2 of us compared to taking my plane to Greece. The only aggravation will alas be using the airports to and from. The rest is being pampered.
Reply O got yesterday:
“Ref your request regarding the costs, kindly info you the following:
As far as you hold a valid IAOPA card the costs are:
· Basic handling : 20,00 eur
· PPR : 28,00 eur
· Bus transportation : 15,00 eur per movement
In all these it will be added a VAT 17%
Now for the Airport :
· Landing fee up to 5.ooo MTOW : 50,00 eur
· Passenger : 12,00 eur"
Refuel technical stop costs at LGSM.
Will stop there for 10 Gls and washroom. Not risking to arrive LWSK with 10 Gls on the tanks.
If I understand this right, that is a bit better than the €150+ we were looking at previously.
Well, it works out to just over 150€ (assuming one pax). That’s for a mere fuel stop.
Will be interesting to see what they do about the PPR fee if you do get the PPR yourself…
Samos is on 17% VAT at least until end of 2017. So handling there is a bit cheaper than the 24% VAT prices mentioned in AOPA (which are referring to worst case)
See here for details:
http://news.gtp.gr/2016/12/20/which-greek-islands-exempt-vat-hike/
boscomantico wrote:
Will be interesting to see what they do about the PPR fee if you do get the PPR yourself…
Check www.aopa.gr/Info the note at bottom of 23.a
From what I hear there is already WIP from AOPA with Fraport but off course nothing can be announced until finalized.
AOPA had a meeting with Fraport’s management last Friday.
Some first hand experience after an epic unplanned 10 day stay in Corfou LGKR.
The 1 hour stopover cost a total of 170 Euros including all paperwork (PPR etc…), taxes and CC surcharge.
Handler was Goldair.
(Aircraft MTOW 1999 Kg, IFR arrival and departure, 1 crew 1 PAX)
After departing for Megara, we experienced a landing gear issue at take off which forced us to:
- Return, land, park (all this with a follow me car of course)
- Perform a VFR test flight, return
- Park for 10 days and make countless trips with the handler to the plane.
- Obtain day passes for mechanic, myself and my rental car.
- I also had to order an APU (I think the one we got was big enough to power a medium sized town)
The total additional bill was 270 Euros including VAT. I believe this is a very fair price.
Goldair gave me outstanding support and a very comforting attitude. They were extremely busy with airliners most of the time and yet bent backwards to help me out.
Fraport were also great. They even let me get a truckload of palettes into the airport in order to jack up the (high wing) plane. Also agreed to move out the police vehicles from a hangar so I could park the plane there for jacking and testing.
The support from local mechanics who work on airliners (no FBO for GA on LGKR) was amazing. They were not certified to work on my AC but provided all kinds of support, tools, advice, etc… Even printed out the AMM of the Extra 400 without being asked.
And now this anecdote to illustrate Greek hospitality:
Spiros, one of the two mechanics who were helping, took me in his car and we went hunting for palettes.
We found them at a construction supplies shop and asked the outfit next door for a quote to collect and bring 20 palettes to the airport and back.
Cost: no charge. They did it for free! And on time and no fuss…
I have several other similar stories.
Suffice to say we managed to enjoy our unexpected stopover! We stayed at the Mon Repos hotel which is a four star for 100 Euros a night, including a fabulous breakfast, and were delighted by the service.
My conclusion and recommendation from this: there are human beings behind the scary administration and in Greece you can count on the to be friendly and helpful.
I recommend to CALL the airport / handler before sending emails. Making it personal makes a huge difference.
If you do so at Corfou, ask for Kostas or Dimitris (duty managers) and tell them that you got a recommendation from a forum friend to talk to them.
Safe flying.
