“The new airport, costing approximately 522 million euros, will be a modern and “green” hub, while reducing the burden on the city of Heraklion due to the operation of the “Nikos Kazantzakis” airport”, underlined K. Mitsotakis during his visit at the construction site
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the construction site of the new international airport of Heraklion in Kasteli at noon, which he said will be larger than originally planned.
“Crete is finally getting an airport worthy of its development dynamics. The minister (Kostas Karamanlis) did remind that I had been here again in February 2020, just before the coronavirus hit us. Then we had founded the construction of the new Airport. I have to tell you that the progress that has been made is impressive, I think you can see it yourself. We are talking about the biggest construction site right now in our country. We are talking about one of the largest airports being built in the whole of Europe. An airport, in fact, which in the end will be bigger than the one that was originally planned, because we have to anticipate and take into account the very positive developments that have taken place since the airport was initially planned” noted the Prime Minister after being informed about progress in project implementation.
Development of Crete with a modern airport and a modern highway
“It is unthinkable to talk about the development of the island without a modern airport and without a modern highway and of course without the road which, as you have seen, is being built very quickly, which will connect the Northern Road Axis with this airport”, pointed out Kyriakos Mitsotakis .
“We now have a construction site in full swing, an active construction site and in fact what I want to note is that with the additional work that we have agreed and passed through Parliament, we are actually exceeding the limited specifications that an airport that was designed twenty years ago had years and we will now have a modern airport, which can be visited by up to 15 million passengers. I think that this will be the most modern airport in the Mediterranean and I think that what we see today certifies that the project is moving ahead of its schedules”, noted the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Costas Karamanlis.
“Our attention will also be directed to the utilization of the old airport, the “Kazantzakis” Airport. We are talking about a very important area, which is actually located within the urban fabric of the city of Heraklion. We will listen to the thoughts and suggestions of the local community and I believe that this space will be able to be used immediately for the benefit not only of the residents of Heraklion, but also of the whole of Crete. Under no circumstances would I want 18 years to pass again, as unfortunately happened with Elliniko, that is, from the moment the airport was moved to Spata, for this very important area to remain inactive”, added the Prime Minister.
During the briefing, it was noted that the planning update, which was necessary because there was no substantial development between 2015 and 2019, ensures on the one hand the optimal specifications and on the other hand the service of the increased passenger traffic, providing for the extension of the terminal building by 32%.
The new airport, costing approximately 522 million euros, will be a modern and “green” node for the seamless connection of Crete with mainland Greece and the rest of the world, while reducing the burden on the city of Heraklion due to the operation of the “Nikos Kazantzakis” airport.
The construction works, in their full development, are expected to create 2,000 jobs, while the number of workers who will be employed in the operation of the airport and in the ecosystem of services and infrastructure that will surround it will be even greater.
The Prime Minister was welcomed at the construction site by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Kostas Karamanlis and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Giorgos Karagiannis. He was accompanied by the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy and Member of Parliament for Lasithi of the New Democracy Yiannis Plakiotakis, Deputy Minister of Sports and MP for Heraklion of the ND Lefteris Avgenakis, MP for Heraklion of the ND Maximos Senetakis, MP of Chania for the ND Vassilis Digalakis, MP for Rethymno of the ND Yiannis Kefalogiannis, the ND MEP Manolis Kefalogiannis, the Regional Governor of Crete Stavros Arnautakis, the Mayor of Minoa Pediada Manolis Fragakis, the Secretary of the Political Committee of the ND Pavlos Marinakis and the Secretary of Organization and Director of the Office of the President of the ND, Stelios Kontadakis.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis then visited the national sports center for beach and sand sports “Karteros Beach Sports Center”, which is one of the best of its kind in Europe, and was given a tour of the facilities by the Deputy Minister of Sports Lefteris Avgenakis
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