Attention to all,please do not try hardly to find logical explanations.I have used Corfu many times since 1995 and have savored the strong Soviet style clamp of HCAA.“It;s our airport and we do as we like”.Times passed and the new pvt administration still cant escape the bottlenecks of the past.In reality they made it more expensive,more dysfunctional,more hostile.For those goodwilling persons who think that the new admin needs time to “discover” more efficient ways or better pricing or jet blast barriers or the opposite empty apron,I am sure that these guys try to tell you in a legal-civilized way “hey,we dont want you here”.I dont feel it is pure incompetitivenes.
MedFlyer wrote:
I am sure that these guys try to tell you in a legal-civilized way “hey,we dont want you here”.I dont feel it is pure incompetitivenes.
Too bad because the Ionian Islands are very nice AND closer to central Europe than any other part of Greece. Can you recommend alternatives? How about Zakynthos or Kefalonia?
A good example of how this can work is Olsztyn-Mazury in Poland EPSY.
The GA parking is on the opposite side of the runway from the terminal, but has BP fuel from a truck that arrives almost by the time one has taxied to the fuel station. There are 2 staff, one for refueling and one in a little van for marshalling, fee collection, and evtl transport over to the terminal if needed. We just stopped for refuel and departed again right away. Fees were about €22 for a C172 and were paid on the spot without any need to go over to the terminal. Fueler accepts BP card or CC.
Another option would be a card-driven self-serve fuel station like the TOTAL ones all over France or in many other places in Europe (CC in Mariehamm Finland, BP in Colmar France, etc). I even encountered one of these at EPWK where the self-serve was built into the (stationary) fuel truck. That is, the fuel truck was just parked at the field next to a paved area where one rolled up the plane within reach of the truck. Operation directly from the truck via CC was self-serve.
Anyone interested in forming a group to try to set up a parking/refueling arrangement at the parking area opposite the terminal at Corfu?
The idea would be to try to convince BP to place a self-serve fuel truck with CC or BP card built in. One could drop in a container-type “office” to provide a table, water, WC.
It appears from the photos that there could even be road access independent from the main terminal side. If the area could be secured (i.e. secure road access), then there would not even be any need for going over to the terminal in the case of flights to/from Schengen countries where customs isn’t required. If not, the only “handling” would be transport across to/from the terminal. Everything else could be completed at the (GA) parking area and GA traffic would be almost completely “self-governing”.
Of course, this would only work operationally if Fraport could be convinced to drop the PPR requirement.
Comments? Positive suggestions (I’m sure people can come with an infinite number of reasons this wouldn’t work)?
chflyer wrote:
Anyone interested in forming a group to try to set up a parking/refueling arrangement at the parking area opposite the terminal at Corfu?The idea would be to try to convince BP to place a self-serve fuel truck with CC or BP card built in. One could drop in a container-type “office” to provide a table, water, WC.
You are talking about a privately run airport here. The fuel company is not the issue but the airport operator.
Sorry, I thought Fraport was now the airport operator.
chflyer wrote:
Sorry, I thought Fraport was now the airport operator.
Ok, understood now.
I understand that fuel is not necessarily the major issue (any more), but parking and fuel (and a/c access) are the primary GA needs especially if customs is not needed. The basic idea was that creating a GA-specific service environment on the non-terminal side at little or no direct incremental cost to Fraport would separate the ground traffic and could possibly remove the PPR for GA pilots as well as generating additional business for the airport. This is what was done at Olsztyn-Mazury and it is really slick. But it would involve a fuel station on that side and would be even better with a small container or similar with minimal WC/rest facilities.
I don’t know if AOPA Greece has approached Fraport with such types of ideas, or if Fraport is fully concentrating on CAT in which case they might be open to other group proposals for developing alternatives specific to GAT.
chflyer wrote:
especially if customs is not needed.
Customs are needed.
www.aopa.gr/Info paragraph 13.
