- EASA certification granted to Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority and two state-run airports: Heraklion and Alexandroupolis.
- The remaining eight airports are to be certified by February 2025.
- Certification highlights compliance with international safety and operational standards.
Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) achieved a significant milestone with its EASA certification, marking a new era for safety and efficiency at state-managed airports. Heraklion’s “Nikos Kazantzakis” and Alexandroupolis’ “Dimokritos” airports are the first to earn this certification, leading the way for eight more airports expected to follow by February 2025.
A ceremony held on January 24, 2025, at the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) headquarters commemorated the occasion. Attendees included the Deputy Minister of Transport, Vasileios Oikonomou, HCAA’s governor, Dr. Christos Tsitouras, and CAA’s governor, Georgios Saounatsos.
For context, Athens International Airport and the 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece have held airport certification under EASA standards since December 2017. The delay for state-operated airports dates back to a lack of readiness to comply with 2017 requirements. This gap began to close when Law 4757/2020 separated airport operation responsibilities from regulatory oversight, transferring the latter to HCAA in January 2022.
What EASA Certification Means
Certification of airports, introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the start of the 21st century, guarantees high safety, regularity, and efficiency for aircraft operations—whether on the ground or during takeoff and landing. EASA, the European Union’s aviation safety body, ensures compliance with strict standards outlined in EU Regulation 139/2014. Airports and their operating bodies must meet infrastructure, equipment, operational, and maintenance standards and robust safety management systems.
For Greece’s state-managed airports, this certification didn’t come easy. HCAA inspectors conducted extensive evaluations, examining every detail—from facility readiness to compliance with operational requirements.
The process assesses airports and their operators against several benchmarks, including:
- Infrastructure compliance
- Equipment adequacy
- Operational efficiency
- Safety management systems
- Maintenance procedures
During the preparation phase, HCAA inspectors executed extensive evaluations. These inspections addressed both the certification-seeking airports and HCAA’s central operations, ensuring full compliance with regulatory requirements.
Post-certification, these airports will enter a continuous supervision program. HCAA will conduct both scheduled and surprise inspections to uphold safety standards, using the same model already applied at Fraport Greece-operated airports and Athens International Airport.
