The gates of all airports in Greece were opened to direct flights from the United Kingdom on Wednesday, with the first direct flight landing at the Ioannis Kapodistrias airport on the island of Corfu at 2pm Wednesday. To welcome the 90 passengers who arrived on the first flight from Birmingham, two fire service vehicles formed a ceremonious welcome arch in celebration of the gradual lifting of the measures.
Two more flights from East Midlands and Manchester are scheduled to land at the Corfu airport on Thursday.
There were no scheduled flights from the UK at the Athens International Airport, however seven flights from the UK are scheduled for 16 July.
Strict rules are in place, including the meticulous observance of hand hygiene, the obligatory use of a mask, the observance of distances, the constant and careful cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and other areas passengers come into contact with. Social distances are being kept (1.5 metres) and adhered to at all times at the airport. Special ground markings, visual instructions on screens and banners make it easier to maintain distances and there will also be regular audible updates via screens, announcements and markings.
A similar greeting had been reserved for the first flight to Heraklion, Crete, from Hamburg at the start of July.