By Fani Zoi
The often-cited and decades-old prospect of connecting various Greek holiday destinations – primarily smaller islands – with seaplanes has again fallen «victim» to «red tape» in the recession-plagued country, as another tourism season will pass in 2016 without the idea getting off the ground.
Only incremental progress has been recorded so far in acquiring licensing for a seaplane hub in coastal Athens, while major delays in winning approval of environmental studies has dampened hopes by interested carriers.
The primary criteria for acquiring a seaplane license – at least in Greek bureaucratic «theory» - is designation of a small expanse of water for a landing and take-off corridor, coastal infrastructure (a small terminal and embarkation / disembarkation points) as well as startup capital of 100K euros.
Nevertheless, since an improved legal framework was enacted in 2012 only one seaplane license has been awarded, on the Ionian island of Corfu, which already has a commercial airport.
Sector sources charge that a friendlier investment regime, especially after a relevant 2013 law (4146), is simply not being implemented. Specifically, the relevant law calls for a maximum period of 65 days with which an application for a seaplane license must be processed by the public sector, a stipulation that is apparently ignored, with no disciplinary action taken against civil servants assigned the relevant files.
One characteristic example is a seaplane route for the island of Paxos, a verdant isle to the south of Corfu in the Ionian Sea that lacks any airstrip. Roughly 15 months have passed since the first application for a seaplane route was filed. A subsequent demand by the Greek Civil Aviation Authority for additional security measures (such as an x-ray machine to check passengers’ luggage) delayed the project. Although the measure is reasonable, company representatives agree, the law’s specifications refer to security checks of baggage by seaplane ports’ staff.
The only «bright spot» appears to be a recent initiative to promote these types of investments via coordination by the privatization fund (TAIPED), with an acceleration of the licensing to, at least, allow for charter seaplane routes.
Greece features 13,600 kilometers of coastline and dozens of islands without air service.
