Tender to be called for state-subsidized air routes
The race to be awarded state-subsidized air routes begins next month, focusing on 23 destinations that are not popular but serve social transport needs. The Civil Aviation Authority will issue its tender for the routes next month and the process must be completed by October, when the majority of contracts expire for the routes that have so far been operated by Olympic Airlines. This is the first time such a tender will be called, as Olympic no longer enjoys a monopoly following the privatization of the national carrier. The subsidized routes had often been the most profitable ones for Olympic, while the popular Athens-Thessaloniki service resulted in the biggest losses.
