How and when will flights resume?
Corfu Airport
29 Apr 2020
/ 10:48
BRUSSELS. Everyone will be waiting to hear what the EU Transport Ministers have to say on Wednesday 29 April. Especially when their income depends on tourism and flights. Meanwhile, the new terminal at Corfu Airport is ready a year ahead of time! But what will we do with it now?
The measures required for the resumption of flights is expected to be discussed at today's unofficial meeting of EU Transport Ministers. Fraport may have provoked sarcastic comments following its announcement that it is unable to fulfil its economic obligations but the situation with Greek airports during this crisis remains fraught. According to sources in the company that manages 14 regional airports in Greece, an example of the current situation can be seen from last Wednesday when there was a total of 100 -120 passengers at all the Fraport airports in Greece for the whole day! There was one flight from Thessaloniki to Chios where there were as many passengers as crew - four! It is quite clear that the air transport sector has collapsed.
Grounded
On a European level due to COVID-19 flights have decreased by approximately 98% - in other words, completely.
It wasn't necessary for European governments to close airports due to COVID-19 as the airlines themselves grounded their aircraft due to lack of passengers.
A week ago IATA revised its forecast of losses for European airlines and reckoned that they would come to 89 billion dollars for 2020 and not 76 billion as forecast the previous month.
Grounded
On a European level due to COVID-19 flights have decreased by approximately 98% - in other words, completely.
It wasn't necessary for European governments to close airports due to COVID-19 as the airlines themselves grounded their aircraft due to lack of passengers.
A week ago IATA revised its forecast of losses for European airlines and reckoned that they would come to 89 billion dollars for 2020 and not 76 billion as forecast the previous month.
As regards Greece, the revised forecasts indicate a 52% drop in the number of passengers - a decrease of 26 million passengers. This is a nightmare scenario as IATA estimates over 233,000 jobs in the air transport sector will be at risk and losses of over 10 billion dollars are expected in the Greek economy.
Completion of new terminal
Meanwhile, whilst the focus of everyone's attention is on the pandemic and its consequences, the extension of the terminal at Corfu 'Capodistrias' Airport has been completed a year ahead of time.
To be precise, according to reliable sources the major part of the work has been completed (see photo) and just details remain. However, because only 10% of the workforce is being used it is not unlikely that that these details take until April 2021 to complete - in other words, when the work was originally planned to be completed.
In any case, to whatever extent air transport operations may resume this difficult summer, it is difficult to see the need for a new terminal in Corfu - it seems that will have to wait for 2021, depending on what happens with coronavirus.
Completion of new terminal
Meanwhile, whilst the focus of everyone's attention is on the pandemic and its consequences, the extension of the terminal at Corfu 'Capodistrias' Airport has been completed a year ahead of time.
To be precise, according to reliable sources the major part of the work has been completed (see photo) and just details remain. However, because only 10% of the workforce is being used it is not unlikely that that these details take until April 2021 to complete - in other words, when the work was originally planned to be completed.
In any case, to whatever extent air transport operations may resume this difficult summer, it is difficult to see the need for a new terminal in Corfu - it seems that will have to wait for 2021, depending on what happens with coronavirus.
