Aviation

Travelport, one of the world’s leading global distribution system providers, recently signed a five-year full content agreement for Galileo and Worldspan-connected users worldwide with Kenya Airways. The agreement enables users to gain access to the airline’s full inventory of flights and fares, including web fares.

Olympic Airlines SA will not have to repay an amount of illegal state aid back to Greek state coffers as a European Commission’s decision was overturned last month by the European Union’s General Court.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry announced last month that it aims to encourage airlines to add routes to Greek destinations or enhance existing flights to Greece from many destinations especially in Europe.

Passengers from a country included in the U.S. visa waiver program must first request and be granted ESTA authorization (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before traveling to the United States, according to airline carrier Air France.

The European Commission opened an in-depth investigation last month into the planned Olympic Air/Aegean Airlines merger as its initial inquiry into the deal showed it could raise “serious competition concerns.”

Members of global airline alliance SkyTeam last month welcomed travel agents and tourism professionals at the Athens Hilton Galaxy rooftop bar for the alliance’s 10th anniversary party.

Athens Airways was recently declared in default by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and was annulled from serving the nine state subsidized air route destinations it had undertaken in April. The routes are now assigned to Olympic Air and Sky Express.

A draft bill that sees the full and final opening of ground handling services at Greece’s 34 regional airports is under preparation, Infra­struc­ture, Transports and Networks Minister Dimitris Reppas announced at a recent press conference.

The luxurious status of the most expensive airport in Europe must end, according to the Hellenic Association of Airline Representatives (SAAE) in regards to Athens International Airport’s (AIA) high aviation charges.

Despite difficulties the air transport industry is facing due to the crisis, Athens International Airport (AIA) Eleftherios Venizelos last month reported improved passenger traffic and air flight figures.