Chania airport management decided to close half of Chania airport passenger terminal to speed up the airport upgrade. The airport management hopes to have some facilities ready for 25 March, when the first charter flights start. Any further delays beyond that date are certain to cause serious problems during the holiday season, but the CAA decided to take that risk rather than delay further the improvement works at the airport. The bigger risk is missing the end of the year funding deadline for completing the project.
Airport chief executive Stavros Kastrinakis said that there have been some very tense weeks recently, while trying to balance the risks and benefits of starting the work at the terminal.
It has not been possible to carry through the funds to next year, Mr Kastrinakis added, so the work needs to keep within the original deadlines.
The project has been hit by years of delays already as a result of legal action for the award of the contracts, non payment of subcontractors and a number of geological features that delayed the foundations of new buildings to the east of the terminal.
The airport management has also applied to the Greek CAA for an up to date check in system to reduce waiting times for departing passengers, appropriate for an airport handling nearly 3 million passengers a year.
The work to date
The new extensions of the terminal to east and west have been completed, internal work is still going on.
The structure for the new control tower has finished
The internal work on the existing terminal is in progress
Work is carried out at eastern section of the airport
