Sensation causes the new serious complaint this time by the telecommunications employees of the civil aviation service against the former Minister of Transport - Infrastructure Kostas Karamanlis, who for two years as they say in a letter to the new Minister G. Gerapetritis, put on ....autopilot the country's regional airports by discrediting them without security infrastructure and necessary staff with a visible risk of a serious air accident with tragic consequences as happened with the trains in Tempi.
The mere fact that seven (7) regional airports (Syros, Naxos, Ikaria, Milos, Kastelorizo, Kastoria, Kozani) had to be closed due to the illness of the ONLY flight information officer raises huge questions about the role of the former minister and his ability to understand the danger to dozens of human lives from such criminal omissions. The officials have even released a series of letters they sent over the last two years to former minister Kostas Kramanlis detailing all the major problems for the safety of flights and the lives of passengers. However, there has been no interest from the Minister and, as the workers say, by a real miracle we have not suffered anything similar with an aircraft as this crime that happened with the trains in Tempe. Costas Karamanlis has proved to be little, spineless and sadly fatal to our children.
The officials' letter is particularly revealing:
Honourable Minister,
On the occasion of the recent tragic train accident, which cost the lives of so many young people, we would like to express our deepest sorrow and our warmest condolences to the families of the victims, while we wish the injured a speedy recovery.
With your assumption of the ministry shortly before the elections, we are sharing with you the communications of the Board of our association over the last two years, through which we have raised the serious problems of our sector.
For two years we have been trying to convince the former political leadership of the ministry that shortages of staff and infrastructure can sometimes be fatal.
Neither the closure of many airports (Syros, Naxos, Ikaria, Milos, Kastelorizo, Kastoria, Kozani) due to the illness of the ONLY flight information officer (AFISO at the Airport Control Tower), employees working without a day off, on standby for activations due to patient transfer 24 hours a day, nor the empty telecommunications departments (which assist the work of the Control
Air Traffic Control) responsible for sending flight plans, air navigation messages, Notams, necessary for the safety of flights and passengers, were able to convince them.
For the huge staff shortages, while these have been understood by the administration of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry, no action has been taken to cover them with transfers and
competition through the APSEP.
Twenty-one (21) applications from qualified candidates have been pending for more than five (5) years, only four (4) have been completed and five (5) more have been unreasonably delayed. AFISO employees work exhausting hours
without days off and permits in violation of all national, Community and international air navigation regulations. This summer is expected to be extremely difficult to dangerous for
the operation of airports and the safety of flights and passengers.
We will continue the struggle for the upgrading of the infrastructure at regional-critical airports, the recruitment of a sufficient number of telecommunications/AFISO employees to cover the vacant posts, but also the restoration of the economic injustices against our sector.
