Greece’s lenders, the Troika, have reportedly brought back on the table the demand that 22 airports across the country should be shut down. The proposal has been allegedly suggested by the German airliner Lufthansa and forwarded to the Greek government via the German advisers to the Greek state – I suppose by the EU Task force under the leadership of Horst Reichenbach.
According to local news portal prismanews.gr, the proposal foresees the shut down of airports in remote islands but also to popular tourist destinations like
Sitia (Crete), Alexandroupolis, Araxos, Kalamata, Nea Agchialos, Lemnos, Chios, Kastoria, Kozani, Ioannina, Skyros, Syros, Ikaria, Leros, Karpathos, Naxos, Paros, Milos, Kythera, Astypalaia, Kastelorizo, Kassos.
The recommendation to close 22 airports was originally proposed to the Greek government a few months ago, it was rejected by the Ministry [?] and had caused an uproar in the concerned areas.
Should the airports close down in some remote islands, visitors and inhabitants will need to spend some 12 to 20 hours on the ship in order reach their destination in the Greek capital. Alternatively they might be able to choose the option of flying from a near by island but the trip of 40-50 minutes per plane will be extended to several hours.
UPDATE 12/10/2013: Greek Privatization Agency (TAIPED) rejected the news report recalling that there was an internation tender for the exploitation of 14-20 regional airports. More details here.
PS Two days ago I posted about the proposal of German insurance company Allianz Group to enforce Greeks to pay double contributions for pensions. Today, we learn that German Lufthansa wants to close down 22 airports. I can understand that the Allianz Group could profit by the measure. But Lufthansa? Do I miss something here? Unless it wants to enter the local market and considers these airports as non-profitable.
And yet there is one conclusion we pull out of these German proposals: That Germans rule our lives per remote control.
Germany is trying to destroy Greece its a simple as that.
Its quite upsetting the world has come to this. If I was the Greek leader I would say fuck you to Germany and Eurozone just like we did to the Italians in WWII.
I only count 21. Where is the other one?
it’s Kassos, sorry.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Greece should have defaulted and left the Euro three years ago when the shit first hit the fan. If they had done so, the economy would be rising now, there would be inward investment and the tourism market would be booming.
But the politicians wanted to stay on the EU gravy train. They wanted that nice, well paid sinecure as EU lackeys. To mix it with the ‘Big Boys’ at the EU table.
So we pay for their vanity with blood, sweat and tears. I weep for Greece and the Greeks, I really do.
And ‘Germany’ is synonymous with the German Federation of Industry, whose current head is ‘Herr Greichenland’ – the old Hochtief chief in Athens who oversaw the building of the airport handing out millions in bribes, and refused to pay taxes to the Greek state….at the time of the sale to a Canadian company in February these totalled half billion euros. The sale went through with the tax debt waived.
German insurers have been buying out greek insurance companies over the last year, but not before driving them to the wall first.
No doubt Lufthansa has similar plans. Maybe with all these closed airports the fleet of small planes servicing them will become redundant and no doubt will have to be sold for peanuts to – Lufthansa!
Keep in mind though that we are not yet worthy of real german investment since we are still un-competitive, meaning the minimum wage is not yet 320€ a month like Croatia. But since Germans are not investing in Croatia perhaps 320€ is still too high?
Greeks are still waiting for the promised ‘reforms’. Very few of us have woken up to the fact that these ARE the reforms.
Personally I wish that the citizens of the periphery countries would boycott ALL german products. Because Germany’s whole raison d’etre is built on exports.
‘reforms’ is just an euphemism for ‘austerity’ and hunger.
the boycott comes naturally, see the drops in vehicles industry in Germany.