After Kymi, Aliveri and Aidipsos are added to the network of water airports in Evia, with Karystos and Chalkida following suit in the licensing process, while Itea, in the Central Greece region, also signs the start of the procedures for acquiring a water airport!

The puzzle of the water airport network in Evia is rapidly coming together after the approval for the establishment of water airports in Aliveri and Aidipsos by the Ministry of Transport & Infrastructure, Shipping, and Finance. The remaining pieces are completed by Karystos and Chalkida, where parallel infrastructure construction will begin to secure their operating licenses.

The construction and operation of the water airport network in Evia is entirely undertaken by Water Airports of Evia IKE, a subsidiary of Hellenic Seaplanes, which, after the approval of the Kymi water airport in early 2023, is steering the technical files for the other (4) four projects in the same direction.

The network of water airports in Evia…!

The licenses for the new water airports in Aliveri and Aidipsos add to the already licensed Kymi water airport, and the licensing for Karystos and Chalkida is expected very soon… The ownership of the water airports belongs to the Evia Ports Authority S.A. (OLNE), which, through a competitive process, has appointed Water Airports of Evia IKE, a subsidiary of Hellenic Seaplanes S.A., as the contractor for the construction and operation of the water airports.

The facilities at the ports of Aliveri, Kymi, Karystos, and Aidipsos are expected to operate with 1-2 sea planes approaching simultaneously, while at the water airport of Chalkida (Ag. Stefanos), a total area of 7 acres, infrastructure will be developed for 3-5 sea planes to approach simultaneously. The central Maintenance Base for the company’s sea planes will also be developed, and simultaneously, infrastructure will be built for the operation of the Seaplane Pilots Academy.

Along with the operation of the water airports, supporting infrastructure will be developed to provide integrated services to passengers, and a timetable is being prepared soon that will connect these water airports with other water airports and water fields in Attica, Central Greece, the Aegean Islands, Volos, the Sporades, and Northern Greece.

Regarding the recent licensing of the water airports, the President of the Evia Ports Authority, Mr. Spyridon Gerontitis, stated:
“We have been informed of the granting of the license for the water airports in Aliveri and Aidipsos, and we are awaiting the licensing of the remaining water airports. With the ambition to create a highly exploitable network of water airports in Evia, OLNE, in collaboration with Hellenic Seaplanes, is planning modern water airports that are expected to attract visitors from Greece and abroad, while simultaneously opening new job positions and opportunities for the local community. We believe in the potential and benefits that water airports bring to our destinations and believe that the best is yet to come for Evia and its ports.”

Itea: The New Member in the Network of Water Airports of Central Greece!

The advanced interest of the Governor of Central Greece, Mr. Fanis Spanos, for the creation of a water airport in Itea is now materializing into action, with the signing of the licensing agreement for Itea’s water airport. The Regional Authority of Central Greece, Hellenic Seaplanes, and the President of the Port Fund of the Prefecture of Fokida, Mrs. Sofia Anagnostakou, by signing and speaking at the recent event of the Port Fund of Fokida held in Itea, have added yet another member to the network of water airports in Central Greece.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Development and Investments, Mr. Tsakiris, Secretary General of Shipping, Mr. Kyriacopoulos, MP of Fokida, New Democracy, Mr. Bougas, the Governor of Central Greece, Mr. Spanos, Deputy Governor of Central Greece, Mr. Delmouzos, the Mayor of Delphi, Mr. Tagkalis, and the CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, Mr. Charalambous.

During this event, the agreement was officially announced, with Hellenic Seaplanes undertaking the project for the establishment of the Itea water airport, with the aim of strengthening Fokida’s position within the water airport network of Central Greece and hosting sea planes at its ports.

The President and CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, Mr. Nicolas Charalambous, commented on the competition and the signing of the licensing agreement for Itea’s water airport:
“The establishment and operation of a network of water airports in Greece represents an innovative investment opportunity with significant development prospects both locally and nationwide. These prospects are rooted in enhancing our country’s tourism product by introducing a new, flexible mode of transport, not only to increase flight frequencies to popular tourist destinations but also to promote new ones. Moreover, beyond facilitating and expanding the accessibility of tourist destinations, sea planes also serve urgent and emergency transportation needs, such as patient air evacuations, search and rescue, and cargo transportation (medicines, food, press, etc.). We have great aspirations for the water airport network in Evia, and the strategic locations of the water airports on the island ensure comprehensive coverage in terms of connections with neighboring areas via sea planes. The establishment of licenses in Aliveri, Aidipsos, and Kymi greenlights the construction of the projects, and we are optimistic about the near completion of the process for the remaining three ports in Evia. The advantages that sea planes and water airports can offer to a region are manifold, and Evia is among the unique destinations that we believe will fully leverage them.”

After the signing of the project in Itea, Governor Mr. Fanis Spanos emphasized:
“The effort that started in 2019 to see the network of water airports we envisioned come to fruition is now moving to the next stage. The first three licenses are a reality, and we are heading in the right direction, so that we can see the remaining water airports in Central Greece enter the operational phase. Reactivating sea planes at our ports is imperative because the quality of transport will always be a crucial factor for both Greek and foreign visitors. We will continue strongly, with the same ambition, to see them flying over Greek seas. The construction of the water airport will be a key pillar of development for Itea, and it will optimize its port, as with the arrival of sea planes at the water airport, passenger and cargo flights will take place from/to neighboring areas and islands of the Ionian as well as the Aegean. We want Central Greece to become one of the first regions to bring water airports as a mode of transport, and Itea will be another port that has the identity and specifications to acquire a commercially strong water airport!”

Updates on the water airport network

In a meeting at the Ministry of Transport, the President and CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, Mr. Nicolas Charalambos, updated Mr. Papadopoulos on the construction of the new water airports in Skyros, Skopelos, and Alonissos, the competition for Itea’s water airport, the delay with the Alimos water airport related to the land services, as well as the company’s interest in investing in the water airports of the Peloponnese.

The Deputy Minister, Mr. Papadopoulos, in a relevant statement said:
“The creation of water airports on certain islands of the country that do not have conventional air transport infrastructure or regular public transport services will contribute to a wide range of social services of urgent nature, such as patient and essential goods transportation. The now swift licensing process confirms the new investment activity, emphasizing the multiple benefits that such an investment will bring to the Greek economy, such as job creation, regional development, infrastructure and network development, as well as the positive impacts it will have on the domestic tourism industry… We are thus putting into practice the support of this specific investment initiative, effectively contributing to the creation of the first viable network of water airports and shaping a new developmental landscape in the country.”