Aviation

The Greek Olympic team and the Olympic Air crew in front of the Airbus A320 right before takeoff to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Olympic Air, official sponsor of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, carried the athletes to London on 23 July and 13 August.

“A solution to the bankruptcies of airlines is vital,” the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) said last month citing a statement released by the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Associations (ECTAA), whose members include HATTA, in regards to the bankruptcy of Spanair and Malev.

Taking into account traffic developments, Athens International Airport (AIA) announced last month that it would offer four substantial incentives that correspond to a 30 percent discount on its aeronautical charges.

“If Thessaloniki is excluded by air travel then the city will be unable to spread its wings and attract more potential visitors, especially at a time when hopes to boost the Greek economy have turned to tourism,” the Thessaloniki Hotels Association recently said.

The Tourism Ministry will seek cooperation with other ministries to upgrade Greece’s regional airports and increase Athens airport’s competitiveness, according to Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni.

Canadian Ambassador to Greece, Robert Peck, last month officially requested the immediate processing of necessary legislation and cutting of red tape for waterway investments to proceed in Greece and seaplanes to operate in Greek waters.

“Delta is not leaving Athens on a permanent basis, but will instead exit the market during the deep winter, when demand for air service between the U.S. and Greece is at its lowest point,” Evan Plaskett, international network planning for Delta Airlines, said in an official letter to Yiorgos Tsakiris, president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.

Swiss International Air Lines will cease routes to and from Thessaloniki as of 27 and 28 October 2012 respectively due to “financial difficulties of the route and the overall restructuring of the service,” travel agents of the Northern Greek city were informed last month.

Aviation News website honored the best companies and personalities in the Greek aviation field last month at the Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel.

Airline companies will not be obliged to pay aviation user fees at Greek regional airports for the rest of the year, the Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Ministry announced last month.