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Airports are undoubtedly the main gateway for tourists to Greece. Accounting for the fact that the increased number of tourists will lead to an equal increase in the revenues of airports the privatisation of 28 regional airports in the country naturally attracts the interest of local and foreign businesses.

Last Friday, the privatisation fund announced that it had approved the concession contract for major Greek airports.

They are divided into two groups. The first includes the airports in Thessaloniki, Corfu, Chania, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Aktio and Kavala to which three of the airports in Alexandroupoli, Araxos, Kalamata and Anchialo can be added if desired.

The second group includes the airports of Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Mytilene, Mykonos, Santorini and Skiathos, and, if desired, up to three airports from those on Limnos, Chios, Karpathos and Nea Anchialo. This is the so-called "elite" of the Greek regional airports. It is believed that over 13 million passengers pass through the airports of Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Kos, Corfu and Chania, which is 71% of the total passenger traffic. The investment provided to improve the infrastructure of these airports amounts to over 100 million euro.

The airports in Zakynthos, Santorini, Mytilene, Mykonos, Samos, Kefalonia, Aktio and Kavala are considered as developing and mid-size, requiring the implementation of infrastructure projects worth 95 million euro. Based on 2013 data, the number of aircraft arriving at these airports reached about 4 million.

Who is interested?

The privatisation of airports is drawing the serious interest of both national and foreign giants, given that the regional airports absorb the majority of the total arrivals.

The available information indicates that the following consortia are particularly active in connection with the upcoming competition: the French Vinci and the Greek Ellactor, the German Fraport and the Greek Copelouzos Group, Argentina's Corporacion America and the Greek ΜΕΤΚΑ, and the US company Advent International. Moreover, the companies from Argentina and France have repeatedly expressed interest in public.

The companies that have reached the second stage of the competition involve J&P Avax, Athens International Airport, Aeroports De La Cote d Azur whereas the Turkish TAV and the foreign groups Global Liman Isletmeleti, Flughafen Munchen Agrokor-Novaport Development and Engelinvest Israel Ltd that had expressed interest have not qualified for the second phase.

The binding bids have to be submitted by the end of the summer but it is not excluded that the procedure be extended to September.