- Over 15,000 seaplane flights in Greece between 2004-2009, before licenses dried up and operations crashed.
- As of June 2025, no commercial Greek seaplane flights are scheduled despite a record tourism surge.
- At least eight official pieces of legislation have been passed since 2004 specifically for seaplane operations.
- Hellenic Seaplanes has 28 destinations planned, but Milos and Santorini were removed due to objections from local authorities.
- Ten brand-new electric seaplanes were promised in December 2024. They remain stuck in promo pictures.
- 20 years since the first pilot flights—still no actual seaplane network connecting the Greek islands in sight.
Why does this matter?
- Travellers can’t reach many Greek islands except by slow ferries.
- Island residents remain isolated, waiting for connections to be established.
- Businesses on islands miss out on tourism and investment.
- Plans keep getting announced and quietly shelved, wasting public hope and private money.
Recap of the Greek Seaplane Saga
Greek seaplanes have become a running joke, pulling off the rare feat of missing their takeoff for twenty straight years. Every summer season brings more promises, flights that exist only on paper, and official meetings that end with absolutely nothing flying except bureaucracy.
Back in mid-June 2025, in a show of peak optimism, the Civil Aviation Authority gathered the top brass with one goal: get Greek seaplanes moving. Plans were discussed, and quotes were issued, such as “The meeting marked a milestone in the coordination of procedures for speeding up the institutional and operational readiness of the seaplane network.” Yet airports across Greece—especially on the islands—continue to echo with the sound of no seaplanes landing.
Hellenic Seaplanes is aggressively optimistic, announcing new routes to Donousa and Oinousses and activating an online booking platform with predictions that “Flights are expected to change the map of accessibility to Greek islands and remote areas.” Their operational blueprint remains vivid—Athens, Skyros, and Ioannina as bases and 28 tantalizing destinations ranging from Alimos and Patra to Skopelos, Samothraki, and even the Athenian Riviera.
There’s only one missing ingredient: actual flights.
Why Greek Seaplanes Are Stuck
- Bureaucracy gone wild: Endless paperwork, conflicting authorities, and ever-shifting regulations.
- Local resistance: Major tourist magnets like Milos and Santorini were excluded from the plan after the port police rejected the requests.
- Licensing gridlock: Even after Hellenic Seaplanes completed all known prep and paperwork, key airports like Ioannina still lack valid water aerodrome licenses.
- Political promises: Ministers, CEOs, and mayors line up to declare every year as “the year of seaplanes.” Never is.
- Confusing legal maze: Multiple law changes (2013, 2020) have not moved things forward.
- Pandemic pause: If paperwork and politics didn’t kill the dream, COVID-19 did for two years.
- Hotel owners angry: Regions like Ioannina openly protest the delays, warning, “The reputation of the destination suffers, we lose tourists, and the growth prospects are undermined.”
- Electric seaplanes parked: In December 2024, Hellenic Seaplanes signed for ten electric Noemi seaplanes (9 seats each). Passengers can see them only in glossy photos.
- Public frustration: Locals and tourists say it bluntly—”Just give us the flights, not more plans.”
Two Decades of Epic Non-Flight
- 2004: First trial flights take off in Corfu. AirSea Lines launched.
- 2005-2007: Flights run between Corfu, Paxos, and Ioannina. Issues start with licensing.
- 2008: AirSea Lines goes under, citing bureaucratic issues.
- 2010–2012: Silence. With no legal framework, interest vanishes.
- 2013: The first law was passed for Greek seaplane bases (Law 4146/2013), promising a new fleet of 100.
- 2014–2015: New companies, such as Hellenic Seaplanes, emerge but without the green light for takeoff.
- 2016–2019: More announcements. “Ready legal framework” but no flights.
- 2020: A new law (4663/2020) allows private seaplane docks, but COVID-19 kills the momentum.
- 2021–2023: Licenses issued for Corfu, Patra, Volos, Rethymno, etc. Commercial flights remain a mirage.
- 2024: “2025 will be the year!” say officials. Hellenic Seaplanes claims full readiness.
- 2025: No seaplane service. More press releases, tourists left holding ferry tickets.
Where Plans Crash and Life Stays Stuck
Despite the repeated unveiling of plans and glossy press releases, Greek seaplanes have never managed to fulfil their primary purpose: connecting the islands quickly and easily for locals and visitors alike. The never-ending paperwork, competing local interests, and lack of fundamental political will have created one of the longest-running non-starts in European tourism.
Officials, such as Christos Tsitouras, head of the Civil Aviation Authority, insist, “The Authority supports the seaplane development initiative, keeping safety and compliance with EU and international standards in mind.” Meanwhile, the leader of Hellenic Seaplanes, Nikolas Charalambous, puts on a brave face: “We’re proceeding with strategic planning for a flexible, high-quality, and safe network for island Greece.” But the results speak for themselves.
- Greek seaplanes get grounded year after year, and time isn’t on anyone’s side.
- Island life stays tough. Medical emergencies, working commutes, and even simple travel become an ordeal.
- The tourism potential, which is supposed to get a boost, consistently falls flat.
- Locals grow tired of long ferry rides, visitors give up, and Greek officials make promises again.
Every year brings fresh hope and more headlines, but when it comes to Greek seaplanes, the only thing moving is the goalpost. For twenty years, everyone’s been ready to board—except for the seaplanes themselves.
