The new Larnaka International Airport will give the island’s economy a new impetus, amidst the economic crisis and will significantly help the economic and tourist development in general, Androulla Christodoulou, head of Services of Civil Aviation at Larnaka International Airport told CNA.
In an interview ahead of the opening of the new airport, the opening ceremony of which is scheduled for November 7 and the first flights will take place on November 10, Christodoulou said that after the administration of the airports was undertaken by a private company, the Civil Aviation Department, which is the regulatory and supervisory authority, has a responsibility to monitor and control all authorities which are active within the airport.
Hermes Airports Ltd assumed management and control of Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport on 12 May 2006, under a 25 year BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) concession agreement with the Republic of Cyprus.
The Concession Agreement includes a 622m plan to develop both airports through construction of a new passenger terminal building at each site and other associated infrastructure, including aprons and runway extensions. The work commenced immediately, under a rapid Design and Build Contract. The new passenger terminal at Pafos opened in November 2008, and at Larnaka, it is scheduled to open on 7 November 2009.
The construction contract is the biggest ever undertaken in the Republic, with the Build-Operate-Transfer project being the first privatization of its kind in Cyprus. The new airports will offer world class, state of the art facilities, with an emphasis on excellent customer service, according to Hermes Airports.
Speaking a few weeks before the new airport opens its gates, Christodoulou said all services will have premises at the new airport. However cargo will remain at the old airport, but in the future will be transferred at the new as well as all companies and services since, as she said, “we have to be at the new airport because of the distance from the old, as it is about three kilometers away”.
Asked about the role of the Civil Aviation Department, Christodoulou said that before Hermes stepped in, the department also had to handle the administration of Cyprus’ airports.
“Since the undertaking and administration of the airports from a private company, as is the international practice, that private companies should handle airports, the Civil Aviation Department has the regulatory and supervisory role to control all bodies which are active within the airport”, she said.
Christodoulou told CNA that this is necessary to ascertain if they are active within the framework of the legislation, explaining that this legislation is the Chicago International Convention which Cyprus has sanctioned, EU regulations and national legislation.
Asked if the Civil Aviation will have fewer responsibilities now, Christodoulou said that “we will concentrate now on our role as regulatory and supervisory authority, which is more important than the role we had before. Now the Civil Aviation Department will concentrate on its obligation, as the relevant governmental service based on the IACO Convention”, she added.
Christodoulou said that based on the agreement with Hermes, the state bears the responsibility for the security of the airport from unlawful acts. She explained that according to the national, international, European and national security Programme, the Civil Aviation Department drafts a security programme for the airport on which all security measures which are undertaken in an airport are outlined.
All bodies have a share of their responsibility as far as security is concerned, said Christodoulou, therefore the Civil Aviation Department controls how far these bodies are implementing the security measures.
Regarding flight security, Christodoulou said that this falls under another section of the Civil Aviation Department and from time to time undertakes random checks in Cypriot or foreign companies.
Christodoulou said that the new airport boasts modern equipment which “will significantly help the airport’s security measures. For instance, she mentioned the access control system, with which employees can move within areas where it is necessary to complete their work. The system uses fingerprint as sign for identification,
Reminiscing about the role of the old airport, Christodoulou said it began operating in early 1975 after the 1974 Turkish invasion, with basic installations as an urgent solution and because the issue of connecting Cyprus with the outside world had to be immediately solved.
Improvement and development works continued over the years to cover the needs, but after a decade it was decided that a new, modern building that would offer all services to passengers and airlines would have to be constructed and be in a position to compete with neighboring countries’ airports.
After competitions etc, in 2006, Christodoulou said they reached the point where Hermes undertook to construct two airports, in Larnaka and Paphos which Hermes Airports Ltd assumed management and control of Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport on 12 May 2006, under a 25 year BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) concession agreement with the Republic of Cyprus.
Asked how she feels a few weeks after such great step, she said “the feelings are mixed. We acknowledge the great role which this airport has played for 35 years now in the economy of this island and general. It had opened the horizons for our country at a very difficult time. However, we are also excited to move to a new airport which is a very modern terminal building, with all modern installations, and we should always look ahead”.
Christodoulou said that Larnaka serves around 5.6 million passengers annually and expressed the hope that the “new terminal building will give a new boost for the economy general, as we are in the midst of a world economic crisis and will significantly help towards the tourism and economic development of Cyprus in general”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 percent of the island’s territory.
