Olympic Air Grabs Last Agones Grammes Routes

The operations of the nine remaining state-subsidized air routes (24 in total) to remote Greek islands were awarded to Olympic Air at the price of 5,220,527 euros, the Civil Aviation Authority announced in late November 2009.

As of last month Olympic Air now covers the routes Athens-Astypalea, Athens-Milos, Rodos-Karpathos-Kasos-Sitia (Crete), Athens-Naxos, Athens-Paros, Rodos-Kos-Leros-Astypalea, Athens-Kalymnos and Rodos-Kastelorizo, until 31 March 2010.

The contracts for 15 out of the 24 routes had been awarded in October 2009 to Athens Airways and Sky Express for the 1 December 2009-1 April 2010 period.

More specifically, Athens Airways has undertaken 10 routes at the price of 1,561,250 euros and covers: Athens-Ikaria, Thessaloniki-Chios, Alexandroupoli-Sitia, Aktio-Sitia, Athens-Kythera, Athens-Karpathos, Athens-Skiathos, Thessaloniki-Kerkyra, Kerkyra-Aktio-Kefallonia-Zakynthos and Thessaloniki-Samos.

Sky Express, based on Crete, has taken five routes at the price of 632,007 euros: Lemnos-Mytilini-Chios-Samos-Rodos, Athens-Skyros, Thessaloniki-Skyros, Athens-Sitia and Thessaloniki-Kalamata.

In addition, six Greek air carriers have submitted applications to serve 11 air routes to and from the following non-European Union countries: South Africa, Canada, Albania, Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Russia, Serbia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

The interested carriers are Olympic Air, Aegean Airlines, Athens Airways, Hellas Jet, Hellenic Imperial and Blue Bird.

Results are also awaited in regards to a tender for the provision of ground handling services at the 34 Greek regional airports.