Emergency meeting on flights at “Macedonia” Airport: Concern over possible closure of Ryanair base

There is increasing interest successful Thessaloniki and among the city’s tourism bodies pursuing reports that Ryanair may adjacent its basal starting this coming autumn—a improvement that would besides mean cuts to routes and planetary connections astatine Thessaloniki Airport “Macedonia”.

In this context, an online gathering is acceptable to instrumentality spot time with members of the Irish low-cost carrier’s absorption and section stakeholders to supply elaborate information.

At an exigency moving gathering convened contiguous (Monday) by the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, with the information of Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism Vicky Chatzivasileiou, the Deputy Mayor for Tourism, the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization, and administrative officials, the contented of a imaginable simplification successful flights to and from the airdrome was discussed.

According to the municipality, determination was contiguous connection with the Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), Andreas Fiorentinos, to guarantee optimal coordination successful handling the issue. Following a petition by the politician submitted Monday morning, a punctual effect was received, and it was agreed that an online gathering volition instrumentality spot tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5 astatine 16:00 with Ryanair absorption to clarify the company’s intentions and supply authoritative accusation connected what has really occurred.

Additionally, a missive was sent to the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, to pass her of the situation. It was besides agreed that a broader gathering of each metropolis stakeholders volition beryllium held by the extremity of the week to reappraisal each information and coordinate a communal response. “The precedence indispensable beryllium the involvement of the city,” the municipality stated.

Following today’s meeting, a missive was besides sent to Fraport Greece requesting clarification connected whether the presumption of practice with Ryanair person changed and whether the hose has communicated its intentions to the operator.

It is noted that the Irish low-cost hose cites accrued charges astatine “Macedonia” Airport—managed by Fraport Greece—as the reason. However, this is simply a communal maneuver the institution follows erstwhile deciding to adjacent bases astatine European airports it considers little profitable compared to others crossed Europe.

Ryanair has taken akin actions successful the past some wrong Greece—such arsenic astatine the airports of Chania and Kos—and abroad, astir precocious astatine Berlin Airport. For example, successful Berlin, the hose announced successful precocious April the closure of its basal with 7 craft starting successful October, reducing flights to and from Berlin by 50%, with those craft being transferred to “lower-cost airports that person reduced aviation taxes, specified arsenic Sweden, Slovakia, Albania, and Italy,” arsenic stated successful its announcement.

As for “Macedonia” Airport, wherever the hose presently operates 3 craft astatine its base, nary authoritative last determination has been announced. However, if it withdraws successful October, it would travel astatine a clip erstwhile some the airdrome and the destination are connected the rise: aft a precise beardown twelvemonth successful 2025, the archetypal 4th of 2026 closed with a 5.1% summation successful rider traffic, reaching 1.47 cardinal passengers from January to March, with planetary postulation exceeding 857,000 passengers (up 4.2%).

Statement by the Mayor of Kalamaria, Chrysa Arapoglou

Recent reports astir the imaginable departure of Ryanair from “Macedonia” Airport—which would effect successful a drastic simplification of routes from Thessaloniki to dozens of destinations—are causing justified concern. Kalamaria, arsenic 1 of the astir outward-looking and dynamically processing areas of Thessaloniki, cannot passively ticker developments that undermine the city’s future.

The imaginable withdrawal of a institution that serves arsenic a cardinal aerial bearer for Northern Greece, and the simplification of enactment astatine the airport, is simply a substance of strategical value for the economy, tourism, and citizens’ regular lives. We telephone connected each liable bodies—the state, the airdrome operator, and section institutions—to enactment immediately, successful a coordinated and effectual manner, to guarantee the airline’s basal remains astatine “Macedonia” and to fortify the city’s aerial connections domestically and internationally.

Thessaloniki cannot withstand further downgrading. It needs strengthening, investment, and a wide program for the aboriginal of transport and tourism development. Kalamaria volition beryllium contiguous successful each inaugural aimed astatine maintaining the region’s momentum and supporting the section assemblage and economy.