Of the airports listed, only Corfu, Rhodes and Samos carry avgas and only Corfu and Samos are really relevant to light GA. Rhodes is potentially relevant for ferry traffic to Africa but they can stop at Iraklion or Sitia.
1450 new jobs? That’s complete bollox surely.
1450 new jobs on an investment of 1.4b€ sounds not far fetched.
That agreement was signed in 2014 already, only waiting for whether a Syriza government actually means 100% communism or not…
Yes but the traffic is whatever lands at the airport, so how do you create more jobs (that actually do anything)? Duty free shopping perhaps.
It is beginning to look more like a German occupation, rather than a bailout. I have to admit that 1.4b euro, is a staggering investment, for what appears a few jobs. My understanding is that these facilities were already operational, albeit debate able in their service delivery, and that the take over/running of the National assets was to ensure that revenue gained went in the right direction. So assume that the new staff will be admin.financial overseers rather than ops. These to improve effectiveness……time will truly tell
Fraport are the largest airport operator in the world, in addition to their homebase Frankfurt, they operate a lot of airports in all sorts of countries. They are quite efficient in turning an airport (traditionally government funded infrastructure) into a cash cow. The main source of income is indeed the shopping. Frankfurt is a shopping mall with runways and there is a lot of potential.
One could also develop cargo and what not. Fraport has been a co-owner of the Athens airport for more than 15 years. One thing is for sure though: it will get more expensive for GA…
They are quite efficient in turning an airport…
Sometimes they fail big time like in “Frankfurt-Hahn”, very close to their main base. In the end, they sold their 65% share for 1€ to the local government. I guess that a similar fate will result from their involvement in a couple of those Greek airports. Not even Fraport can make a business out of places that nobody wants to fly to.
In practical terms, the loss of Corfu and Samos to GA (let’s say the German management jacks it up to €500) will mean always flying to Crete as the first and last port of entry, which is OK from Croatia if you have an aircraft with a decent range. Losinj or Brac to Sitia is about 5hrs.
A perhaps more realistic prospect will be a €200 bill as it is at Athens LGAV. That will still kill off all GA short of turboprops, or the desperate.
In any case, it will make the Aegean a big hassle because Crete is a long way south. That also means getting back (usually a big headwind) you can reach Brac or Split, maybe. Dubrovnik will always be reachable (in a TB20).
I suppose Megara can be used for internal fuel stops but you can’t use it for entry/exit. I have never been there as a result.
Interestingly Athens is not on the above list, and that is already €200, so things may not get as bad elsewhere, because Athens must have by far the most traffic in a year (the islands i.e. most of the list are busy only 6/12).
So I will be watching Corfu and especially Samos. They better not bugger up those two.
Its too early to say about expected airport costs to GA, at least I personally have no such information.
I just post here to report about the grouping of the airports to be privatized.
Articles mentioning the groups:
http://www.eugreeka.com/regional-airports-privatization-enters-final-phase/
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/09/07/14-regional-greek-airports-to-be-privatized/
A more in depth presentation (mentioning also the Greek case)
http://aviationeconomics.com/NewsItem.aspx?title=Airport-Privatisation-Update—-2014
Peter wrote:
Interestingly Athens is not on the above list
What amazes me, and it is never mentioned is that Greece can never buy the airports back into state ownership. TTIP anyone?
Also, I read that the original deal was for all 30 state owned airports but Fraport rejected the loss making ones. So the Greek state has to get rid of the profitable ones but continue to subsidise the loss makers. Pushing their financial situation into further horrid toilet like territory.
And lastly, has anyone checked which bank is administering fund through which this is all being sold though, and who sits on its board?
No wonder the IMF are running in the other direction.
