Seaplane flight map is growing

Seaplanes are throttling to take off in 2022 starting from the Ionian. Three new waterways have been put on the map in the last week. Crete officially acquires its first waterway, with the granting of an establishment permit to the  Rethymnon Municipal Port Fund. The issuance of the permit for the Volos waterway had preceded, while the controls for the establishment of a waterway in Ios, the first in the Cyclades, were successfully completed. This lays the foundations for the creation of an extensive network of about 150 waterways in the country over a 5-year horizon, which will be the largest network in Europe, contributing to the Greek economy with more than 1 billion euros.

Meanwhile, the first demos will take place in the autumn in the Ionian, where the first mini network in the country is set up, to warm up the market in view of next summer, which seems to be the first full summer season after the pandemic. The investments over five years are estimated by the market at over 300 million euros for the construction of seaports, the purchase or lease of seaplanes, but also the creation of a seaplane pilot training school.

Which waterways take place in Crete

The first waterway in Crete in in a take-off position, from the Rethymno Municipal Port Fund, with the publication in the Government Gazette, on May 21, 2021, of the establishment license. At the same time, the completion of the technical files for Ierapetra, Phaistos (port of Kokkinos Pyrgos), Malevizi (port of Pantanassa) and Kissamos of Chania is in progress. The completion of the elaboration of the Environmental Impact Studies (EIA) that will be submitted for approval with the files is pending.

The design for the Heraklion water park largely depends on the development of the tender for the development of the port by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, while the interest for the creation of a waterway in Hersonissos has been revived.

As stated by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Giannis Kefalogiannis: “With the JMC for the establishment of a waterway in the port of Rethymno, we are laying the foundations for Rethymno to acquire a means of air transport. The next step is the completion of the process for the operation of the seaport, so that seaplane flights to our city can begin shortly. Rethymno is only the beginning for the development of a network of waterways throughout Crete, which will give further impetus to the tourist development of the island and its connection with the other islands and the mainland. A vision that we served with consistency and painstaking effort, is beginning to be realized “.

30 waterways in Cyclades and Dodecanese

Developments are coming one after the other, in implementation of the legislative regulations made at the beginning of 2020 by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport to accelerate the development of an adequate network in the country. In this context, in recent days, the first emblematic step was taken for the creation of a total of 30 waterways in the Cyclades and Dodecanese.

The waterfront of Ios, the first in the Cyclades, which is suitable ground for the deployment of seaplanes, has already been geared to serve the travel needs of residents and visitors, on a 12-month basis, upgrading the tourist product of the island. The issuance of the relevant JMC has already started, with the signature of the Deputy Minister Mr. Kefalogiannis, after the successful completion of the necessary controls. The license will belong to the Ios Municipal Port Fund, which had appointed the company “Hellenic Waterways” as the contractor for the licensing of the waterway.

At the same time, on the initiative of the South Aegean Region, the procedures for the creation of the following waterways are progressing: Rhodes, Rhodes (Lardos area), Halki, Symi, Tilos, Karpathos, Kastelorizo, Agathonisi, Nisyros, Astypalea, Kasos, Kos, Kalymnos, Leros, Lipsi, Mykonos, Santorini, Kythnos, Kea, Andros, Sikinos, Serifos, Donoussa, Anafi, Naxos, Amorgos, Syros, Milos and Paros.

Volos also takes off

The bases for the watercourse in the port of Volos were officially registered, on May 19, 2021, with the publication in the Government Gazette of the Joint Ministerial Decision (JMC) for the granting of a waterway establishment permit to the Volos Port Authority.