Η Civil Aviation Authority finally answered the questions who raised the Kythera.News, for the Kythera State Airport a month and a half later, on 2 March 2023. It took the publication of Kythera.News entitled «Guilty Silence» on 21 February 2023, then the interventions of local bodies on the island and, perhaps even, the tragic events of the last few days. So let us see what his response is.

On the question of fire safety at Kythera State Airport

The Hellenic Republic responds to the issue of fire safety, given that there is only one firefighter on duty and there is left one fire engine at the airport the following:

«Taking into account, according to the operational data of the runway, the length of the longest aircraft landing on a regular basis, the Airport is classified in Fire Safety Category 5, according to ICAO) EC 139/20142 and the national Fire Safety Regulation for airports, heliports and landing fields. Applying the minimum requirements of this category, the number of Firefighting Vehicles (FV) is set at one FV. The second fire engine is located at the airport to immediately replace the operating fire engine in case of its failure, so that there is no delay and possible cancellation of a flight until it is repaired or replaced). With regard to the staffing of the P.O., the movement of a driver - firefighter is initiated, in order to cover the vacant position of the departed employee, due to retirement, within the first ten days of March 2023.

The response of the Ministry of Public Security to Kythera.News, confirms the concerns that existed on the issue of fire safety and of staffing of the airport. Now we learn that until 10 March 2023, (i.e. until a week ago), it will have already moved at the airport a second driver - fireman. It does not specify whether the second vehicle will return removed, since it is not mandatory according to the operational data and the classification of the airport in a fire safety category 5.

It should be noted that the reply of the Ministry of Justice was given just two days after the national tragedy of the fatal train accident in Tempe. And even in a politically and journalistically dense time, where airport and telecommunications officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounce devaluation, understaffing and degradation of airports with a serious risk to flight safety.

Based on this latest data, we will soon bring to the attention of our readers some more concerns according to the latest information we have on the operation of our airport. We will stick for now to the fact that Kythera airport needs further staffing, both in the issue of fire safety and in other key positions.

On the question of upgrading the airport

Η the reply of the Civil Aviation Authority on the issue of upgrading the airport unfortunately confirms the concerns that we had, that since March 2019 until today there is stagnation, while referring to the Region of Attica, which has «expressed an interest to prepare the required environmental studies for the project». Of course, to date, the Region has neither done environmental studies nor has it been interested in the airport for the last 4 years.

What is surprising after all that has been said and written in the last 4 years is that we have come up to 1^η March 2023 to see published the Renewal - amendment of the decision approving environmental conditions of Kythera airport (see below). And not only... Those who read carefully the renewed AEPO issued on 01 March 2023 will notice that it was not until 26 January 2023 that the CAA submitted to the Environmental Licensing Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Energy the copy of the form of the renewal - amendment file of the AEPO of Kythera airport! That is 9 days after the registration of the question of Kythera.News to the Y.P.A.!!!!

We will not go further into the issue of the bureaucratic obstructionism that has been going on for exactly 4 years between the Region of Attica, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Environment. We will simply quote all the data we have at our disposal and from there let our readers and Kytherians judge.

We have highlighted as fully as possible what is happening on the major issue of the airport. For the record, the meeting of YIA Commander George Dritsacos with the hoteliers took place on 23 February 2023, while in 28 February 2023 the Mayor of Kythera requested in writing an update by the commander of the Ministry of Public Security regarding what was reported in the Kythera.News report titled «Guilty Silence» (see below).

We have only one comment to make after all this. Even now, the Councillors and the Mayor must, in the coming days and as quickly as possible, to put the issue on the agenda, to co-decide and run door to door to the relevant departments of the Region and the Ministries, without waiting for more delays. Demand a definitive solution to move Kythera forward.

Kythera.News

Here is the reply of the Ministry of Public Health and related documents