The Greek Parliament is expected to approve the concession contracts of 14 regional airports set to be operated and upgraded by the Fraport-led consortium, following the Orthodox Christian Easter weekend.
According to a report in Kathimerini, the draft law is almost ready and expected to include two concession contracts, each referring to seven airports, in relation to the the tender that was proclaimed by state privatisation fund TAIPED.
To have reached such an advanced level, the Greek government is believed to have secured the approval of the country’s Competition Commission, in addition to the opinion of European Commission competition authorities that the contracts do not constitute a state subsidy.
With people of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other civil servants preventing Fraport officials from entering the airports, the biggest obstacles reported at the terminals of Thessaloniki and Cephalonia airports, passing of the law is expected to ease pressure.
Questions have emerged, as to who is in fact backing those preventing the entry of Fraport officials to the Makedonia Airport.
While in Cephalonia’s case, protesters appear to have been encouraged by a so-called referendum carried out by the head of the Ionian Islands’ Regional Authority on the concession of the airports.
Though an online poll showed 75 per cent of voters were against the concession, it was noted than only 3 per cent of the region’s 200,000 registered voters took part.