AIR CONNECTION IOANNINA-HERAKLEIO
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, is examining the repetition of the bidding process with a modification of the terms of the Declaration, in order to make the Heraklion-Ioannina route more attractive for air carriers.
APA responds to a question from “Hellenic Solution” regarding the issue of “Immediate re-announcement of the tender process for the barren Ioannina – Heraklion air line of Crete” and explains the reasons why the first attempt to launch the specific flight, barren line. It also makes it known that in collaboration with the YME, it is studying the repetition of the tender process with a modification of the terms of the Declaration, in order to make the line more attractive for air carriers.
Among other things, it states that “The financial compensation offered for the line Ioannina – Heraklion was set at 484,000 euros per year, respectively with the lines Athens – Ikaria or Athens – Sitia, with the assumption that it will present a similar passenger traffic. With the no. 14600/21-12-2022 document the terms of the declaration were put under consultation, however there were no proposals on financial compensation from any air carrier, since there was no passenger traffic data to draw safe conclusions. However, the Olympic air company proposed that the public service on the said route should only be a mid- and high-season flying project, a proposal that does not meet the demands of the local operators.
He also mentions that for the inclusion of a new regular airline in the Public Service Provision regime, a study of necessity and feasibility is drawn up and submitted to the European Commission, which examines whether the above conditions are met.
In order to implement the above and in order to enforce the new Ioannina – Heraklion Ioannina – Heraklion line, the APA prepared, on the one hand, a supporting study, regarding the proportionality between the proposed obligation and the economic development needs of the specific region, as well as the possibility of resorting to other modes of transportation that satisfy the transport needs under consideration, and on the one hand technical specifications, which, among other things, describe the supporting documents for participation, the method of drawing up the technical and financial offer, the method of evaluation of offers, the sanctions imposed in case of irregular fulfillment of the conditions of the contract and the method of termination-termination of the contract, while determining the obligations of minimum frequency of flights and minimum seats offered per week as well as the maximum financial compensation payable.
The tender turned out to be fruitless, due to the lack of interest from the airlines.
