Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni and MIG president Andreas Vgenopoulos are arguing over the court’s decision to allow a second airline company to serve flights to Istanbul. For long years only the public airline, which is now owned by MIG, was flying to the Turkish capital. Few weeks ago the foreign ministries of Greece and Turkey signed a memorandum, with which they allowed a second company – Aegean Airlines – to serve daily flights to Istanbul. Naturally, this aggravated Vgenopoulos.
“The party is over” said a week ago the MIG president and blamed the foreign minister that due to her friendly relations with Theodoros Vasilakis’ family (owners of Aegean Air), she gave the right to the airline to fly to Istanbul only with one memorandum. According to Vgenopoulos, in order for this to happen there needs to be an international agreement, which should be approved by the parliament. Also he blames Dora Bakoyanni that she has allowed a Turkish airline to serve flights from Izmir to Athens. This same company also flies to Northern Cyprus.
“The party is just starting” answered Theodoros Vasilakis. “It will be a celebration of competition and improving the civil air transportation.” He reminds that Aegean Air was announced to be the second carrier in 2004 and since then it has been waiting for a slot to Istanbul.
“Andreas Vgenopoulos is a representative of powerful Greek and foreign companies, who uses the pre-election period, in order to achieve his goals. I am refusing to play his game. No one until now has managed to blackmail me and I will not allow this to happen now. This is a business interests game, in which I do not have place,” said foreign minister Dora Bakoyanni. She threatened to sue Andreas Vgenopoulos for his public calumny against her. MIG president also announced that he will seek for his rights in court.
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
