Greek Airport Manager Fraport Calls for Complementary Infrastructure

Photo: GTP

Upgrades at Greece’s 14 regional airports are moving full speed ahead with an outlook for 2021, said Fraport CEO Alexander Zinell, but for these to have a positive impact on tourism, the economy and on local communities, complimentary infrastructure must be in place.

Addressing the 2nd Athens Investment Forum last week, Zinell underlined that Greece’s tourism dynamic can continue only if public investments are implemented in accompanying infrastructure such as road networks and waste management systems at airport destinations.

“The private sector, whether airports or other tourism industry investors are investing in destinations, where basic public sector infrastructure is lacking, be it roads or waste management, etc,” he said.

Alexander Zinell

With regard to Fraport’s regional airport projects, Zinell said a large part of its investment program, some 415 million euros, will be completed by 2021. In the meantime, Zinell said, jobs at Fraport have increased by 32 percent to 700 in total, while the group indirectly supports 14,000 jobs.

“In less than four years we will have completely new infrastructure across Greece,” said Zinell, noting that much of the work on basic infrastructure and airport overhauls had already been completed.

But he was quick to point out that public infrastructure, mainly at popular tourist destinations, must be a priority, particularly the improvement of road infrastructure and safety, which complements the overall tourism product.

According to Fraport Greece, by 2021 all of the 14 regional airports in Greece will be ready, with new check-in areas, restaurants, retail outlets, and terminals.

In August, Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis agreed to launch a “strategic cooperation” with Fraport Greece for the promotion of Fraport-run airports.