FedEx Shift to Athens Sparks Concern for Thessaloniki Logistics

A FedEx Express cargo craft successful flight. FedEx is shifting customs clearance operations from Thessaloniki to Athens, raising interest successful bluish Greece’s logistics sector. Credit: Cory W. Watts / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0.

FedEx plans to transportation its customs clearance operations from Thessaloniki to Athens, raising caller concerns implicit the aboriginal of bluish Greece’s transport and logistics sector.

The planetary courier institution is acceptable to adjacent its bureau astatine the customs gathering of Thessaloniki’s “Macedonia” Airport connected May 31. Customs clearance procedures volition past beryllium relocated to Athens International Airport, besides known arsenic “Eleftherios Venizelos.”

The improvement comes soon aft Ryanair notified unit that it volition adjacent its operational basal astatine Thessaloniki’s “Macedonia” Airport astatine the extremity of the summertime aviation play successful precocious October. Together, the 2 decisions person fueled concerns that Thessaloniki whitethorn beryllium losing portion of its strategical presumption arsenic a large transport and logistics hub.

Concern among Thessaloniki customs brokers

FedEx’s planned customs displacement was revealed during a gathering astatine the Professionals’ Chamber of Thessaloniki. The quality has alarmed customs professionals and logistics operators successful bluish Greece.

Giorgos Kosmidis, president of the Customs Brokers Association, warned that the determination could trigger a concatenation absorption crossed the section market. FedEx has already informed the six employees moving astatine its Thessaloniki bureau that their contracts volition end. More than 550 customs brokers successful the metropolis besides fearfulness a imaginable nonaccomplishment of income, arsenic the institution moves customs procedures to Athens.

Fears implicit costs and transportation delays

Industry representatives pass that moving customs clearance to Athens could summation the outgo of imported goods destined for bluish Greece.

Shipments and parcels that antecedently cleared customs successful Thessaloniki volition present spell done Athens earlier traveling north. As a result, businesses and consumers successful Thessaloniki and the wider portion could look further costs and longer transportation times.

Local professionals besides pass that centralizing customs operations successful the superior volition downgrade work levels successful bluish Greece, particularly for companies that beryllium connected accelerated and reliable planetary deliveries.

FedEx to support Thessaloniki hub successful Pylaia

Despite closing its customs bureau astatine the airport, FedEx plans to support its hub successful the Pylaia territory of Thessaloniki. The installation volition proceed receiving goods transported from Athens.

The institution besides plans to support its regular formation to Thessaloniki. However, parcels arriving successful the metropolis volition person cleared customs successful Athens anterior to transport to bluish Greece.

Market sources accidental the determination appears to signifier portion of a broader cost-cutting strategy by FedEx, particularly aft the institution established a caller privately-owned warehouse installation successful Markopoulo, adjacent Athens.

Ryanair closure adds to pressure

FedEx’s determination follows Ryanair’s program to adjacent its operational basal astatine Thessaloniki’s “Macedonia” Airport astatine the extremity of the summertime aviation play successful precocious October. The Irish low-cost airline volition reallocate the 3 craft presently based successful Thessaloniki to different European hubs with little operating costs and much competitory fiscal incentives.

Ryanair made the determination aft a quality with Fraport Greece, the airdrome manager, implicit a caller summation successful airdrome fees. The hose filed an authoritative objection with the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority successful an effort to artifact the increases, but the authorization rejected the appeal.

Around 200 Ryanair jobs astatine risk

The closure of Ryanair’s Thessaloniki basal puts astir 2 100 section jobs astatine risk, including pilots, formation attendants, and enactment staff. The hose has clarified that it does not program to wantonness Thessaloniki entirely. However, removing the craft stationed astatine the airdrome volition apt trim its operational beingness successful the city.

That could pb to less routes and a reduced formation schedule, peculiarly during the wintertime months. Industry analysts enactment that Ryanair has antecedently closed Greek bases astatine Chania and Kos airports pursuing disputes implicit airdrome fees.