Experts in Air Transport and Cruise Exchange Views at 4th ACES Event in Athens

From left: Ignacio Biosca Vancells, Head of Airport Marketing & Relations with Airlines, AENA; Andreas Stylianopoulos, President & CEO, Navigator Travel; Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director, Communications & Marketing, Athens International Airport; Alexander Zinell, CEO, Fraport Regional Airports of Greece Management Company S.A.; Thanos Pallis, Secretary General MedCruise, Ass. Prof. University of the Aegean, Co-director of PortEconomics.eu; Yiannis Paraschis, CEO, Athens International Airport; Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO, Hamburg Airport & Vice-President ADV; and Stavros Hatzakos, General Manager, Piraeus Port Authority S.A.

Panel discussion on airports & ports synergies and their impact on destinations.

The prospects of airports and ports synergies and their impact on destinations were among the main topics discussed at the 4th Airport Chief Executives’ Symposium (ACES – Athens), held on Monday, December 12. The ACES event is an Athens International Airport (AIA) initiative hosted in Athens on an annual basis.

During the event, delegates focused on the relation between air transport and the cruise industry, the common dynamics and the strategic goal of creating airports & ports’ synergies for the development and strengthening of home-porting, by further exploring the potential of Athens and the Piraeus Port.

Among the topics analyzed during the event was the cruise industry perspectives and challenges.

Keynote speakers included Angela Gittens, Director General ACI World; Dr Raphael von Heereman, Secretary General, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Europe; and Thanos Pallis, Secretary General, MedCruise and Ass. Prof. University of the Aegean.

In the middle, the “seanairgy” ACES – Athens special logo

Through the ACES symposium, AIA aims to strengthen the connection between aviation/airports and the economy of the destinations they operate in and also launch initiatives to strengthen Athens as a tourism destination.

Yiannis Paraschis, CEO, Athens International Airport.

“As hosts of this significant gathering in our city, we would like to convey our most sincere thanks to our distinguished guests and to all contributors to the success of the 4th ACES -Athens, that underlined once again the importance of cooperation, exchange of views, and solidarity towards the achievement of our common goals for growth and development”, Athens International Airport CEO Yiannis Paraschis said.

This year’s ACES welcomed more than 140 top executives from the financial, tourism, maritime and cruise sectors.