Greek court greenlights privatization of 14 regional airports

Xinhua — Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court has greenlighted the privatization of 14 regional airports, Greek national news agency AMNA reported on Wednesday.

The court rejected six requests submitted by trade unions who opposed the sale to a consortium led by German group Fraport.

The Federation of Greek Civil Aviation Workers (OSYPA), which protested the privatization said it would appeal to the European Commission against the concession deal. The unionists argued that the agreement violates European competition rules in addition to being against the public interest.

Under the deal signed with Greece’s privatization fund HRADF in December 2015, Fraport will have the management of the airports over the next four decades, after paying the Greek state 1.3 billion euros.

 

Fraport, which won an international tender in 2014, is committed to invest at least 330 million euros by 2020 to upgrade facilities, improve the quality of services and increase passenger numbers in the airports which include popular tourist destinations across Greece.