Greek airports to fund investment with departure tax
Greek specialists say plans to invest in the country’s regional airport is long overdue and will bring benefits to holidaymakers.
German airport operator Fraport is to run 14 regional airports, including three on the mainland, in Thessaloniki, Aktio and Kavala and 11 on the Greek islands of Crete, Corfu, Kefalonia, Kos, Mitilini, Kykonos, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Skiathos and Zakynthos.
The investment will be funded by a fee of €13 per departing passenger for the next four years, starting in 2017, which could rise to €18 once the project is finished in 2020.
The fee is a slight increase on the current departure fee holidaymakers are charged.
Sunvil Holidays managing director Chris Wright said: "The appointment of Fraport as the operator for these regional airports is a real positive, with money finally being invested in airports that have suffered from underinvestment over the last few years.
"It was inevitable that charges would increase as a result and we were obviously concerned that the charge would be high.
"However, our understanding of this announcement is that the €13 will be a small increase on the €12.7 currently charged rather than an extra tax.
"The increase is set for four years by which time the infrastructure projects will be complete and the increase to €18 will be in line with the rest of the market."
Planet Holidays commercial director Harry Kyrillou said: "This new airport tax is a relatively small amount to pay when one considers the overall cost of a holiday and – while it’s an added cost that we would prefer to avoid – given that it will be utilised to make much needed improvements to the infrastructure of regional airports in Greece, it is supported by us as a specialist.
"Our clients are booking top quality holidays and it does matter that these airports are to be modernised."
However, TravelMole reader Diana Giannoulis posted a comment saying: "We might have seen an increase in Greece this year, but will this continue with the imposition of the new airport tax from Fraport, the new owners of many regional Greek airports?
"They apparently want to make improvements, but they are likely to end up with better airports and far fewer passengers. One step forward two steps back – again."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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