Immediate developments for water airports: Bill open for public consultation until December 27.

A recent meeting was held at the Ministry of Citizen Protection, between senior officials and the President of Hellenic Seaplanes S.A., Mr. Nikolaos Charalambous, and the Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection, Mr. Lefteris Oikonomou.

The meeting included a detailed update on the acceleration of procedures for licensing water airports and the strategic development plan for the operation of hydroplanes.

Subsequently, the discussion focused on the key issue at hand: flight and passenger safety, both during hydroplane flights and in the broader areas surrounding water airports. Both parties agreed that the services provided must adhere to high quality standards and that the water airport facilities where hydroplane flights will take place must leave no room for compromise on the safety of citizens.

Specifically, Mr. Charalambous and the Director of Security at Hellenic Seaplanes S.A. presented to the Deputy Minister the security plan that will be implemented at each water airport and during each hydroplane flight. They also analyzed the technical specifications, which have been designed in accordance with international safety standards applied by other companies operating in the sector worldwide.

In his statements, Mr. Charalambous said:
“The primary concern of the state and Hellenic Seaplanes is to protect the safety of those who choose to travel by hydroplane. Therefore, our design is clear and does not intend to make any compromises when it comes to the safety of our passengers.”

In contrast, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has opened the bill regarding the “Establishment, operation, and exploitation of airports on water surfaces and other provisions” for public consultation until December 27.

Remaining committed to its intention for hydroplane flights within 2020, the government is pushing forward the bill with the necessary amendments to simplify the procedures for establishing and operating water airports. At the same time, the regulatory framework is being reinforced, which will in turn promote the growth of the hydroplane sector and its operation in our country.

The CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, Mr. Nikolaos Charalambous, commented on the matter:
“We have been informed that the new bill has been submitted for public consultation, and this gives the necessary momentum and optimism to all of us involved in the hydroplane sector who have long been waiting to see them take flight. The government seems to be adhering to its schedule, and as it appears, 2020 will be the year we’ve been waiting for — the milestone year for the restart of hydroplane flights in Greece, under a legal framework that truly facilitates the acceleration of water airport licensing procedures and their commercial use.”