Aviation

The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels hosted an open discussion recently and gave tourism professionals the chance to analyze opportunities and challenges posed by low cost carriers in Greece.

The tendering process aimed at the construction and management of a new airport on Crete, in the Kasteli area, has been postponed for the third time and will now run through until 18 October, according to a recent announcement by the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry. The latest deadline was set for 7 June.

Dubrovnik last year had 32.567 arrivals from Greece (75 percent increase from 2009) and 70.697 overnights from Greece (66 percent increase from 2009), according to a presentation on the Croation city presented at an event held recently by Croatia Airlines at the Hilton Athens.

The possibility of Tripoli’s military airport also operating as a civil airport for low cost carriers was recently approved at the Regional Council of the Peloponnese.

Air China launched a new route between Beijing and Athens via Munich on 18 May in an attempt to strengthen ties on tourism and business.

The Olympic Airways Workers’ Cultural Center held an event last month and aimed to show the necessity of establishing an Aviation Museum in Greece.

The Transport and Infrastructure Ministry recently announced a second postponement in regards to the awarding of the tender for the construction and management of the new airport on Crete in the Kasteli area. The new deadline is set for 7 June.

As of this month and until the end of the year all aircraft using Greek airports are exempt from paying landing, takeoff and stopover fees, according to an announcement last month by the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.

Aegean Airlines last month announced its principle growth targets for 2011 that include new destinations abroad, additional frequent flights to major existing destinations and direct connections of Greek regional destinations to foreign markets in order to support tourism.

Olympic Air announced last month that together with Aegean Airlines it would appeal against the decision of the European Competition Commission that blocked their plans to merge. The commission had said that such a merger would monopolize the Greek market.