A masterclass in how to spend years upgrading… absolutely nothing.
The long-promised upgrade of Paros Airport has officially entered the “we swear it is progressing” stage — a familiar phase in Greek infrastructure where timelines evaporate, contractors shrug, and the Ministry of Infrastructure tosses new money at the problem, hoping the project will magically unstick itself.
After months of glacial progress, the Ministry has now activated another funding round worth €3 million, which has been signed off on by Minister Christos Dimas. In theory, this ensures the project does not flatline completely. In practice, it is the bureaucratic equivalent of CPR.
A Project That Keeps Getting Pushed to Future Programmes
The upgrade is now part of the Sectoral Development Programme 2021–2025, but surprise: it still needs an extra €45 million, which will be kicked forward into the 2026–2030 period.
Translation? Completion is not expected anytime before your grandchild’s first summer on Paros.
Aktor’s Role — and Why Nothing Happens on Time
The contractor, Aktor, has been struggling to push the project at anything resembling a normal construction pace. The original completion date was July 10, 2025, based on the previous Intrakat contract (with a 10.54% discount and a total bid of €33.4 million before VAT).
Then came the excuses:
- Critical materials “not available.”
- Scheduling “difficulties”
- General project dysrhythmia
All of this created a cascade of extensions — first shifting completion to April 2026, and then drifting even further. By summer 2024, some parts of the project were already migrating toward early 2028.
No one has confirmed whether this will delay the entire handover, but let us be honest: the evidence speaks for itself.
De-Listing, Re-Listing, and the Never-Ending Loop
At one point, the Ministry had to remove the project from certain funding programmes because it was simply not moving. This was the official acknowledgement of what everyone already knew: the airport was half-finished with no horizon.
The new €3 million injection effectively pulls the project back to life, ensuring contractors do not pack up and go home before the larger €45 million package is secured for the next programming period.
It is not a solution — it is a stabilizer.
What the Upgrade Should Look Like (One Day)
When, or if, the plan is completed, Paros will have an airport that actually matches its passenger volume. The full upgrade includes:
- A new 12,000 m² terminal building
- Redesigned landside space and internal road network
- Security post and permanent wastewater treatment installation
- Extended aircraft parking apron
- Expanded runway for larger and more frequent flights
- A brand-new control tower
- A fire station
- Duty-free areas, cafés, and commercial spaces
- New vehicle parking facilities
In short, a proper regional hub capable of handling the island’s ever-growing traffic.
Paros deserves a modern airport. The Cyclades need reliable infrastructure. But until the funding stabilizes, materials arrive, schedules align, and Greece’s infrastructure machinery decides to behave, this project will continue sliding gently into the future.