Private jet flights in Greece are becoming a headache both for their owners and passengers and for the civil aviation authorities as their number has pushed the Greek infrastructure to the limit.

Indeed, it is for this reason that in recent weeks, high-ranking government officials have been tasked, together with the Ministry of National Defense, to find suitable premises in decommissioned or non-functioning military and other airports throughout the territory in order to park private jets.

At the heart of the problem is the “big bang” of private flights to and to Greece this year. Because as it develops along with the dynamic recovery of commercial flights, Greek airports cannot accommodate the number of private jets that want to park here during the holidays of their passengers. This may seem like a problem that affects only a few, but it is worth noting that in the first seven months of this year, about 16,000 private flights were made in Greece. This is 40% more than in 2019. However, since private jets have to park somewhere to wait for the end of their passengers’ journey – except for those leased exclusively for the flight – and the area of ​​Greek airports is finite, they are often asked to travel abroad again in order to find suitable places to accommodate them. .

Characteristic is the recent incident with the Egyptian tycoon Shafik Gabr, whose pilot even complained to the Greek government that he was not allowed to park his plane for more than five days at an airport on a large Greek island in the Ionian Sea. In his letter, in fact, the pilot mentions that because of this problem, two other private jets, guests of the seventh richest Egyptian, completely canceled their flights to Greece.

This is not the first time such complaints have been submitted to the competent authorities, as well as to the Greek government.

This issue, while perhaps affecting some, is indicative of the limitations of Greece’s existing infrastructure to accommodate the very high income travelers that the country is actively seeking to attract.

Meanwhile, every 20 minutes a private plane lands or departs at the Greek airport. In fact, over the past two months, we are talking about a much larger number of aircraft that deliver mostly foreign guests mainly to the airports of Athens, Mykonos, Thessaloniki, Santorini, Corfu, and also Kalamata.

Every 20 minutes, a private plane lands or departs from the Greek airport.

According to data compiled by Kathimerini, the number of private flights during the first seven months of 2022 to and from Eleftherios Venizelos Airport and the 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece increased by 40% compared to the corresponding period in 2019, while such airports like Heraklion in Crete, operated by the Civil Aviation Authority, are also showing growth.

The great attraction of the Greek brand now internationally and the objective natural beauty of the country, as well as the emergence of many Greek destinations among the most attractive in the world, combined with the modernization of infrastructure and services provided after privatization. Athens Airport and 14 regional airports account for much of this surge in private flights. In addition, the pandemic has pushed those who can afford it to privacy-enabled transportation. At the same time, a significant number of wealthy foreigners have begun to acquire a second home in Greece, as large resort residential complexes have been realized and are being realized both in the main country and on the islands.

From the beginning of January this year to the end of July, there were around 6,000 private flights, according to Fraport Greece, an increase of around 20% compared to the first seven months of 2019, a record. year for Greek tourism and the last before the pandemic.

Most of these private flights go to Mykonos and Santorini, as well as Thessaloniki, Corfu and other regional airports. It is no coincidence that a special area has been created in Mykonos, the new Delos Lounge, to serve precisely these passengers and flights. Corresponding services are offered by the Eleftherios Venizelos General Aviation Terminal, which serves private flights. Athens International Airport handled 8,149 flights in the first seven months of this year, compared to 4,866 in the corresponding period of 2019. This is about 3,300 more flights, i.e. the percentage is about 67%. Together, these 15 airports received more than 14,000 flights by the end of July, which means an average of three flights per hour every hour of the day and every day of the week. But there are more flights: if you include private flights to Kazantzakis airport in Heraklion, Crete and other airports, then their number will increase to more than 16,000. And this is not counting, of course, private helicopter flights, which have only been in Spata since the beginning year has passed 2500.

In Mykonos and Santorini, private jets must take off within 40 minutes of an hour, and sometimes even earlier, as increased passenger traffic takes precedence and cannot occupy the limited space of airports. Thus, pilots are instructed to take off or transfer to other Greek airports where there are empty seats. Of course, the Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens has more potential, but even here the possibilities for receiving private jets are limited.

It is for these reasons that it is indeed expected in the autumn that a few places will be allocated at old and decommissioned or under-functioning airports for the re-parking of private aircraft.