No. 68. AIR TRANSPORT AND AIRPORTS IN GREECE: CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS, ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE AND EFFICIENCY (in Greek)

T. Tsekeris, K. Vogiatzoglou. 2012. | ISBN: 978-960-341-101-7

 

This book provides a detailed description and analysis of the state of air transport and airports in Greece. First, it reports the current conditions and prospects in the global air transport sector and the impacts of a series of economic, political and ecological crises which affected the sector in the last years. It also refers to the restructuring/privatization of the airport industry in several countries around the world. Then, it discusses the domestic institutional regime, with respect to the processes of liberalization of air transport and handling services, the possibilities of peripheral airport development through concessions with the private sector and the prospects of public service obligations of airline connections. The national economic significance of the air transport sector is mostly investigated with regard to its contribution to tourism. Appropriate indices are constructed to depict the intertemporal evolution of air transport and its correlation with the recent economic recession and crisis. The significance of the sector is also investigated through the public investment activity, employment, household expenditure and market service prices.

 

The peculiarities of Greek airports are stressed, in conjunction with problems and strategies for their future development. The air traffic fluctuations in Greece are interpreted in relation to the seasonality, the origin of passengers/tourists, and the operation of public service obligations. Suitable indices are used to examine the financial status of firms in the air transport sector. The results offer useful insights into the market concentration and the competition among the air passenger transport companies as well as among the firms providing ancillary air transport/handling services.

 

The results of non-parametric and advanced regression analysis techniques show the inadequate operational efficiency of Greek airports. They indicate the significant positive effects of direct international flights and of economies of scale, which are mostly pertaining to increasing returns. The conclusions and policy suggestions emphasize the need for upgrading/modernization of peripheral airports, through the use of integrated and flexible organizational strategies, pricing policies and investment schemes with the participation of the private sector. Finally, the spatial restructuring of the public service obligations in air transport is proposed, in addition to a set of other regional policies, with the aim to decentralize air traffic flows and strengthen the multi-modality of the national transport system.