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Paros Airport Aiming to Become International Gateway

The Paros Municipality is looking into ways to turn the island’s upgraded airport into an international gateway for travelers from Schengen and non-Schengen countries including Israel.

During a recent meeting with Paros Mayor Markos Koveos, Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis assured that necessary procedures would proceed for Paros to become a hub for international travelers.

According to an announcement by the municipality, Paros during the last two years has emerged as a popular European island destination, showing record tourism traffic and attracting investment.

The island’s increasing popularity can also be seen through the high demand from leading international travel organizations that are interested in launching direct flights to the island.

“We are certain that the airport’s upgrade – with the necessary staff and equipment – will spur the interest of more airlines,” the municipality said.

Additional funding

Photo source: @Municipality of Paros

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport recently secured additional funding of 46.7 million euros for upgrade works at Paros Airport that include a 13,000sq.m. air station and the extension of the runway and the airport apron.

The project is financed by the Strategic National Reference Framework 2014-2020.

Campaign

Naoussa, Paros island. Photo source: @Aegean Islands

The Paros Municipality since November 2020 has been running a tourism campaign to attract more international travelers in 2021.

The campaign includes promotional activities organized in collaboration with the Greek National Tourism Organization’s offices abroad; online meetings with tourism professionals, journalists and influencers; and the municipality’s participation in international exhibitions such as WTM London, ITB Berlin and the IMTM event in Israel.

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  1. Mark Holdsworth Reply

    The Paros municipality should be doing its best to manage the sustainability of the island: its water, road system, rubbish disposal. Most importantly the lifestyle of the people who live on the island and only then the experience of those who wish to visit. Increasing the number of people who can visit Paros by international direct flights is not an answer to sustainable development. The people of Paros will end up paying, tourists and international tourist companies, do not care about the short and long term costs of over development, they just want a short term experience. Perhaps the Paros municipality should think about limiting the number of visitors instead of increasing them and stand up to the power of large international companies.

  2. Francina Lozada-Nur, DDS, MS, MPH Reply

    Simple put, prior to building such a huge airport the Major of Páros should invest in fixing the roads, upgrade the health center, improve the schools in the island, provide housing for teachers, and those who make life possible in Páros, hire a traffic engineer to solve the traffic jams in summer, develop a sustainable garbage collection system, and guarantee water supply!
    Then, once all of these serious and key issues are solve should he start talking about an international airport. This is totally insane!

  3. Raphaël TAPPAZ Reply

    How can we stop such a project.
    Paros is quiet enough famous and crowded during summer.
    Not sure that people of Paros need more tourists. The actual airport as already done enough damages to the island.
    Turning Greece to green would be better : develop the electric facilities for card, buses …. Improve the water making with desalting sea water. Put electricity lines underground. Improve the waste treatment and recycling much more. Minds are more opened for these kind of projects now.
    People of the island are not informed of this International Airport project. Relay this information the most possible.
    Protect and Preserve Paros like all other parts of Greece.

  4. Keren Levy Reply

    I agree I can’t think of anything worse than an international airport. Arriving by Blue Star is part of the magic of the journey and the arrival.
    But I learned saying this to locals years ago that what breaks our hearts does’t necessarily break theirs. We see it as too much and they see it as progress. So it’s hard.
    For me the fact it was a bit of a challenge to get there (not much) was part of the charm. Always.
    Keren

  5. Isabel Karl Reply

    Please no international airport! There are too many tourists already! Well, not right now due to Corona, but have you forgotten Naoussa in summer 2019? There are many unsolved issues in Paros, like the garbage and not enough parking space etc
    If Olympic and Sky Europe fly daily several times and flights will not be cancelled than it’s by far enough for this small island!

  6. Toralf Sandåker Reply

    This is up to the local population to decide. Some tourists in some parts of Greece are complaining about what locals see as a welcome modernisation and development, but som tourists see pittoresque but uncomfortable townships and services vanish.

    But think of this: Greece is a not so well-off country with a fantastic climate and impressive history as their greatest assets. I am happy for the Greeks if they are able to prosper from these qualities. What developments they aim to plan for, is a political choice, there is no natural law that says Paros must be like Mykonos.

    IMHO, the biggest challenge to Paros and other attractive islands is to develop a hospitality business that last longer than the summer’s peak period. The country should be an attractive place to host conferences, events and educational vistors throughout the year. But then, they need to have an infrastructure to receive people also outside of High Summer. An upgraded airport could be a part of this.

  7. Larieux Reply

    Páros. One more island which is just about to sell it’s soul Money money
    But run by short minded people
    GL

  8. bruno van damme Reply

    This is the most stupid thing the municipality can do! Please put a halt to this totally useless expansion. Paros may not become a second Mykonos or Santorini . This plan will kill the charm of Paros. I hope that Parian inhabitants and Parian résidents will be able to stop quickly this plans. Develop Paros as the greenest Island of Greece. That is thé challenge the municipality should go for, not for mass tourism!

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