New projects for Athens, Thessaloniki and Kasteli Heraklion airports to begin soon

Major projects that will change the air transports map in Greece, will be realized through investments in Athens "El. Venizelos" Airport, Fraport's 14 Regional Airports and mainly in Thessaloniki and Heraklion, Crete, according to ypodomes.com.

Until now, the divergence between Athens International Airport and the rest of the country's airports has been considerable, especially in terms of infrastructure and the overall passenger experience.

"El. Venizelos" Athens International Airport

Beginning from Athens International Airport, with the doubling of its passenger traffic over the past 5 years, a new round of investments has been triggered. Since last year, the construction of a new supplementary building has started for a small-scale extension of the existing terminal. The project, which has been undertaken by AKTOR is proceeding rapidly and its delivery is expected in 2020.

Nevertheless, the big news is that soon another investment for a completely new terminal that will significantly increase the capacity of the airport (either in the form of a large-scale extension of the existing terminal or an entirely independent construction). This is a costly investment (over 300m euros) which is expected to further consolidate "El. Venizelos" as the largest EU airport in the Balkans.

"Makedonia" International Airport in Thessaloniki

Extensive interventions that started in 2017 for the 14 Regional Airports, managed by Fraport Greece, have as a centerpiece "Makedonia" Airport in Thessaloniki. The investment for the International Airport of Thessaloniki reaches 100m euros (i.e. 25% of the total investment for all 14 Regional Airports). The plan envisages the construction of a new terminal that will double the passenger traffic potential.

The project has been under construction since last September and is expected to be concluded in 2020. A renovation of the existing terminal will follow along with its connection with the new facilities, fully transforming the image of the airport.

Alongside, the new runway (10-28) that is due to operate at the end of the year, will resolve the problem concerning the approaching of transatlantic flights.

Kasteli Heraklion International Airport in Crete

A massive investment is also about to start in Crete. The new International Airport that will be constructed in Kastelli, Heraklion, replacing the existing one, concerns an initial investment of more than 500m euros, promises to transform air transport in the southeastern Mediterranean.

Given that the new airport will be strategically situated in the middle of 3 continents, there are many possibilities . Soon, precursory works will start and by 2020 it is estimated that the construction phase will be fully activated. The construction period is set at 5 years. The new airport will have jetways (the only airport in Greece to offer this facility apart from Athens International) and a 3,300-meter runway.

Associated projects that are also planned, include a new 18 km motorway connecting the airport to VOAK motorway axis and a new area for commercial uses. The concession consortium consists of the Greek TERNA and the Indian GMR.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Schuppi