Greece Welcomes First International Flight to Regional Airport post-Covid-19

The Greek island of Kos on Monday evening welcomed its first international flight since Greece went into lockdown due to Covid-19.

The flight, chartered by travel giant TUI, took off from Hannover and transported 170 frontline health professionals that managed the Covid-19 health crisis in Germany to spend free holidays on Kos. The trip was TUI’s and German newspaper BILD’s way of saying “thank you” to the professionals for their heroic work during the coronavirus pandemic.

High-ranking TUI executives were also on board the flight.

The flight was welcomed by Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis, Deputy Tourism Minister Manos Konsolas, EODY President Panagiotis Arkoumaneas and representatives of local authorities.

“It is a great honor and pleasure to welcome to Greece and specifically to Kos, the island of Hippocrates, the health professionals from Germany, those who were at the frontline in the fight against COVID 19… This highly symbolic flight is the first international flight after the lockdown, which comes to an island in our country, the hospitable Kos. I am sure the visitors will enjoy their vacation on this beautiful destination, the birthplace of modern medicine,” Minister Theoharis said.

On his part, Deputy Tourism Minister Manos Konsolas underlined the symbolism surrounding the first international flight landing on Kos after the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Today, we are sending the message that Kos is here, it is a safe tourist destination and it is ready to welcome its visitors. The next day of Greek tourism is connected with forming a new tourism identity, one based on a new development model,” Konsolas said.

Greece’s regional airports will be officially open to international flights as of July 1.

TUI kicks off Greece summer 2020 program

In the first week of July, the TUI fly program for Greece includes 56 flights to Greek destinations, including Crete, Rhodes, Kos and the Peloponnese. The first flights will depart from Hannover, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Cologne / Bonn and Basel (Switzerland).