A meeting was held with Hellenic Seaplanes by the Deputy Minister of Defense, Nikos Hardalias, to discuss the network of water airports and the operation of sea planes in Greece!

During the meeting, a full agenda was discussed, covering topics related to the water airports and sea planes in Greece, a parallel network of firefighting sea plane units at existing and future water airports, and further ways in which sea planes can contribute to the daily life of Greek reality. The goal of the discussion was to “fire up the engines” in 2022 and see the sea planes take off from Greek seas.

Specifically, the executives of Hellenic Seaplanes thoroughly analyzed for Mr. Hardalias the progress of the licensing process for the network of water airports managed by the company, the further opportunities for expanding the developing network of water airports that will lead Greece to have the largest water airport network in the world, and also discussed licensing issues related to water airports that fall under the responsibilities and interests of the Ministry of National Defense.

In addition, during the visit, the agenda focused on presenting the profile of the first sea planes to be integrated into the Hellenic Seaplanes fleet in the near future, and from which locations they will operate their first flights, starting next year.

Regarding the investment in water airports and the government’s support plan for the sea plane project, Mr. Hardalias stated:
“The development of a strong network of water airports is truly a national undertaking, and with the start of flights, sea planes will breathe new life into the way Greeks and foreign passengers are transported, offering them multiple advantages. The government and the Ministry of National Defense stand as supporters of such investment initiatives that highlight Greece and provide immediate solutions to the connectivity problems between the islands and the mainland.”

It is worth noting that the Deputy Minister of Defense had supported the development of the sea plane network from the beginning during his previous position as Secretary General of Civil Protection at the Ministry of Citizen Protection. As Deputy Minister of Defense, he continues to strengthen the implementation of the project with immediate solutions to the issues arising in the licensing of water airports.

After the meeting, Mr. Charalambous stated:
“With the visible and substantial support of the government, Hellenic Seaplanes and the broader sea plane sector are in a favorable position to clearly see the big goal—the operation of water airports and the very soon flights of our sea planes! I am confident that the successful cooperation between the state mechanism and business and investment initiatives is key to ensuring that the national water airport network, which is being created and developed daily, will take ‘shape,’ making Greece the largest water airport network in the world…”

It is also worth mentioning that in the coming days, meetings will be held with relevant stakeholders as part of the broader framework for the creation of firefighting sea plane bases developed throughout Greece, ensuring immediate response capabilities.