Aviation

The European Commission on Monday adopted a new Aviation Strategy for Europe, a milestone initiative to boost Europe’s economy, strengthen its industrial base and reinforce its global leadership position.

Greece is still going strong as a destination of choice according to forecasts for the new year with tour operators boosting their package deals and air carriers launching new flights and adding more seats to their Greece-bound itineraries.

Tony Tyler, the director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), on Thursday encouraged travel as a response to recent acts and threats of terrorism.

Flight cancellations have been announced by AEGEAN and Olympic Air for Thursday, December 3, due to the 4-hour work suspension of the civil aviation authority personnel (OSYPA) and the 24-hour strike announced by the Santorini Air Traffic Control Personnel.

An ailing global economy and weaker China forecasts are the reasons the International Air Transport Association (IATA) cited on Thursday, for cutting its long-term growth forecast for the number of air passengers around the world.

Lufthansa recently announced the expansion of its summer program for Greece with the addition of flights to Santorini and Corfu in summer 2016.

Aegean Airlines announced on Thursday, the introduction of 14 new destinations from Athens, 111 international routes to 45 countries and investments in four new Airbus A320 carriers.

“2015 was the worst year with regard to operations and functionality of Greece’s airports”, Aegean Airlines Vice President Eftychios Vassilakis said while speaking at SETE’s 14th Greek Tourism Confederation conference. Meanwhile, four Greek regional airports have been listed among Europe’s 10 worst.

Passenger traffic at Athens International Airport (AIA) is about to the break a two-decade record with experts estimating that more than 17 million passengers will have gone through its gates this year.

Air France has confirmed job cuts as part of a restructuring plan dubbed “Perform 2020” that also includes a 10 percent reduction in its long-haul capacity and routes to India and south-east Asia being cut in 2017.