It further degrades the air connection of Kythera for this season (until 29 September), following the cancellation of all direct flights from Thessaloniki. The Aegean Airlines through its subsidiary company Olympic Air discontinues the availability of direct flight tickets from Macedonia airport« of the capital, causing another blow to the island's tourist traffic. It is noted that the connection between Thessaloniki and Kythera will now be made with a stopover at the Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”.” bringing the cost of the trip up to between 136 and 149 euros per person for a single journey, excluding the of the inconvenience of correspondents of flights and waiting times at terminals.
Something similar happened last year, with the same company, in the middle of the tourist season, cancel five scheduled direct flights of Aegean Airlines - Olympic Air from Thessaloniki to Kythera.
It should be noted that from March 2022 another negative development with another company, the Sky Express which scheduled its routes on the connection Athens - Kythera late at night, with departure from “Eleftherios Venizelos” at 9.00pm. This move was considered to degrades the air connection of the island and led the Mayor of Kythera Efstratios Harhalakis, after contacting the company, to make an extrajudicial letter against her.
This relative downgrading of Sky Express routes is surprising. What changed the attitude of the company that on June 1, 2017 when the President of the airline Theodoros Krokidas, while in front of our Mayor, here in Kythera, described the island as a quality up-and-coming and very dynamic destination to be supported; (Really, how and by whom?)
The these sad developments, in conjunction with the high costs for travellers' travel, because of the accuracy, cause concern to tourism professionals of the island. Questions therefore arise. Did we make a mistake somewhere in the strategic as a tourist destination since institutionally there has not been formed a timeless design by the institutions public and private; Did the low Interest on Thessaloniki flights gives reason for their cancellation by Aegean? Does Sky Express prefer other more commercial destinations and profitable at more reasonable hours, watching Kythera as a plumb line in her program; Does the «free market» frenzy that the government preaches «liberates» companies from their «social responsibility», turning Greek aviation into a «stock exchange» of fares; And further, if the state through the YPA and of Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has a say in the matter, because it does not interfere; The questions make everyone receptive and demand answers as Kythera has invested tens of millions in tourism over the last twenty years and in several cases with high lending to local small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Kythera.News continues to monitor the issue, seeking answers to key questions. It seems inconceivable to any observer that the island is attempting to develop a dynamic connection with new destinations such as Tel Aviv, Israel with the support of the Municipality of Kythera, and not being able to visited comfortably and financial ο Salonika or Athenian. And not to forget that in recent years Kythera have lost direct connections to Bilund in Denmark and the Amsterdam, Netherlands, while they also lost the connection to Crete and the Ionian Islands operated by Sky Express.
