Kasteli Airport Explained

Kasteli Airport
Nativename-A:Αεροδρόμιο Καστελίου
Icao:LGTL
Pushpin Map:Greece
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Greece
Pushpin Label:LGTL
Pushpin Label Position:top
Type:Military
Operator:Hellenic Air Force
Location:Kasteli, Heraklion, Crete
Elevation-F:1180
Elevation-M:360
Metric-Rwy:y
R1-Number:02/20
R1-Length-F:9,813
R1-Length-M:2,991
R1-Surface:Asphalt
Footnotes:Source: Austrian AIP,[1] SkyVector[2]

Kasteli International Airport is a military airport located south-east of Heraklion, in Kasteli on the Greek island of Crete. It started operating in 1940 and has a single runway with a length of . The airport is used by F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force's 133 Combat Group.[3] The Ariadne Airport Group consortium, consisting of the GEK Terna in partnership with the Indian GMR Group has been selected to develop, operate and manage a new international airport on this site[4] as a replacement for the existing Heraklion International Airport.[5] The new Kasteli International Airport is due to open by 2027.[6]

Airport expansion

It is planned that the new airport will be situated on the southwestern side of Kasteli Hellenic Air Force Base, from which the air force currently operates F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters.The idea was first proposed in 1986 by then-Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. The project has officially entered the implementation phase, and tenders have been invited. The new airport was planned to become operational in 2014. The existing airport at Heraklion will be closed and an area of there will be returned to local communities for a large urban regeneration plan.

The creation of the new airport will require new road, water and sanitation works, as well as the transfer of settlements located within the proposed runway zone (Archangelos, Roussochoria). The construction of a road will connect the airport with Motorway 90 (A90) along the north coast of Crete, in the neighbourhood of Chersonissos. When finished, the distance from the city of Heraklion to the new airport will be approximately . Complaints have been filed for lack of a new road linking the new airport to the south coast of Crete.

The new airport will be constructed over an area of, adjacent to the current military airport in Kasteli. It will have a runway long to accommodate larger aircraft than can presently be operated into Heraklion airport. An additional area of 22ha is reserved for commercial activity south-west of the new airport. This is a very large project with a budget of €1.2 billion for construction costs alone, and together with purchase costs including loans and other expenses, will reach €1.5 billion.[7]

Initially,[8] [9] four candidates had appeared for the Kasteli airport construction and management project, from Greece, China, France and Spain.

However, the Ariadne Airport Group consortium was declared the provisional winner of the international tender in May 2017. Ariadne is a joint venture formed by Greece-based Terna and New Delhi-headquartered GMR Airports. According to the Greek Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Giorgos Dedes, €10 million have been approved for expropriations and the contract for the airport has been approved by the Court of Auditors, so that infrastructure works can begin in January 2019, even if there are great concerns about the environmental pollution from airplane fumes to the underground water deposits that provide water to 1/4 of the city of Heraklion.[10] [11] On February 21, 2019, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport signed a concession allowing the Greek-Indian Ariadne Airport Group consortium to build the airport. The concession needs clearance from Parliament and competition authorities before construction begins.[12] In May 2019, the Parliament approved by a wide majority the necessary legislation, ratifying the concessions contract.[13]

Construction

The construction phase of the airport commenced in February 2020 after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis laid the foundation stone. Under the concession agreement, the construction of the airport is set to last a total of 60 months (i.e., 5 years) until 2025.[14] Due to the impact COVID-19 pandemic had on the construction timeline, the commencement of operations was pushed back to late 2027 or early 2028.[15] According to the latest revisions of the master plan, the airport is to have a 94,000 square meter terminal, 10 passenger boarding bridges, 19 boarding gates and an initial capacity of 11 million passengers per year.[16]

In June 2024, construction crew discovered an ancient Minoan architectural ensemble on the top of Papoura Hill where a radar system was planned to be built. After meeting with Greece’s Culture Ministry, planners decided to prioritize the excavation and protection of the ancient structure while concurrently continuing airport construction in other areas.[17]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AD 1.6.11 KASTELI. eaip.austrocontrol.at. 7 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817000715/http://eaip.austrocontrol.at/all/lg/160107/ais/eaip/pdf/AD1/AD%201.6%20CAT%20B%20AERDROMES/catb/AD%201.6.11%20KASTELI%20MIL.pdf. 17 August 2016. dead.
  2. Web site: Kasteli Airport . skyvector.com . 21 April 2019.
  3. Web site: 133 Combat Group. www.haf.gr. 7 June 2016.
  4. News: GMR Infra to develop new airport in Crete island. 7 June 2017. 7 June 2017. The Hindu Business Line.
  5. News: Greek/Indian venture aims to start work on Crete airport in early 2018. 31 May 2017. 7 June 2017. Reuters.
  6. Web site: Kasteli Airport Deal Signed, Project Ready to Take Off. 2019-02-22. GTP Headlines. en-US. 2020-01-10.
  7. http://www.oriste.com/2009/02/25/new-airport-iraklio-crete-in-kasteli-pediados Cretan Chronicles blog
  8. Web site: Greece pushes back deadline for Kasteli airport bids to May 6. www.ekathimerini.com. 8 June 2016.
  9. Web site: Tender looms for new airport on Crete. www.naftemporiki.gr. 28 March 2016 . 8 June 2016.
  10. Web site: Προσοχή, αεροδρόμιο στο Καστέλλι! . https://web.archive.org/web/20190223074502/https://www.efsyn.gr/efkriti/koinonia/158339_prosohi-aerodromio-sto-kastelli . 2019-02-23 . Marios . Dionellis . 2018-07-22 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . el .
  11. Web site: The Kasteli Airport Project Rolls Out in January 2019. www.argophilia.com. 11 December 2018 . 24 December 2018.
  12. News: Greece signs concession for new Crete airport. www.reuters.com. 21 February 2019 . 21 February 2019.
  13. News: Kokkinidis . Tasos . Greek Parliament Approves Construction of New International Airport on Crete . 14 May 2019 . greekreporter.com.
  14. Web site: Crete to Get New Airport: Works at Kastelli Begin . GTP Headlines . 4 May 2021 . 11 February 2020.
  15. Web site: Crete's New Heraklion Airport to Become Mediterranean Hub . GTP Headlines . 27 January 2023.
  16. Web site: 2023: New year, new challenges Airport Heraklion Crete . International Airport Review . en.
  17. Web site: 2024-06-11 . 4,000-year-old Greek hilltop site mystifies archaeologists. It could spell trouble for new airport . 2024-06-12 . AP News . en.