Athens Airport Update

UPDATE: The latest opening date is now said to be March 27th. Access roads are said to open fully on March 19th.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:
As the March opening approaches (and the date slides from March first to "sometime in March) passengers, airlines, and international flight authorities are all asking the same question: Will the new Athens airport open on time? And what time is that, exactly?

Greek aviation authorities are insisting that the airport will open on time, while the International Air Transport Association is recommending a substantial delay in the opening date of the airport to allow support facilties and road construction to be completed. Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis insists that the airport will operate in March, though the exact date has not yet been decided. He is also suggesting that the real reason IATA and airlines are asking for the delay is to seek reductions in the new landing fees which are much higher than at the old airport. Greek authorities admit that the airport's heavy aircraft maintenace services are not ready for a March opening, but insist that all other services are in place. Test flights in and out of the airport have been completed successfully.

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