Aviation

Athens International Airport (AIA) and the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP), within the framework of further cargo development in Athens, signed an agreement last month for the development of a “sea-air” link between OLP and AIA.

Government officials last month promised to keep Olympic Airways flying over the summer, despite a fresh European Union warning over illegal aid. They also insisted that there were groups who were interested in purchasing the airline.

The national carrier of Romania, TAROM, first began flying to Greece back in 1957. But it wasn’t until a few years back that the carrier decided to center on Greece and expand rapidly.

Athens International Airport’s spring timetable offers 836 weekly scheduled flights – 47 more compared to the respective period in 2005 (+6% growth on a year-to-year basis) – operated by 56 airlines, connecting AIA to 68 international destinations in 47 countries.

As we go to press, negotiation meetings to determine the future of Olympic Airlines continue. The EU gave the government until the end of March to develop a plan for liquidating the airline, and a business plan for the new company with private capital for funding.

Qatar Airways during the recent ITB tourism fair unveiled its brand new look that takes it into the next generation of air travel. From new aircraft livery to innovative onboard products, award-winning Qatar Airways says it is making radical changes to its image, reflecting itself as a more progressive and confident airline.

The European Commission announced it encourages the development of regional airports and that it has adopted new rules that should encourage their development.

Cyprus’s loss-making national carrier, Cyprus Airways, will shed more than a quarter of its work force this year to save the airline from closure, senior officials said last month.

Transport Minister Michael Liapis told reporters last month that he would soon appoint a board of directors for the proposed new Olympic Airways company, which he expects to start flying this spring (press reports say September at the earliest).

Qatar Airways spread its wings into Africa this winter with the launch of scheduled flights to Nairobi. The Kenyan capital is served non-stop five-times-a-week from Doha, the operational hub of award-winning Qatar Airways.