Greece in sights of low-cost carriers

THE GREEK government is in talks with at least two low-cost carriers about starting cheap flights to tourist areas this summer.

The news will shock tour operators and network carriers such as British Airways, which have considered Greece beyond the range of the no-frills airlines.

It came as Michael Frenzel, chairman of Thomson Holidays’ parent TUI, insisted Greece should turn a lack of low-cost flights to its advantage.

However, new tourism minister Fani Palli-Petralia, who took over last month, has initiated talks with the airlines.

Stefanos Vlastos, director of the Greek Ministry of Tourism, said: “We’re in discussions with the Ministry of Defence about opening military airports to commercial traffic, and two carriers.”

He declined to name the airlines, but described them as “quite big”.

Any deal would be bound to involve government incentives for the airlines, since the flight time to Greece is beyond the two-hour maximum suited to the low-cost model.

Of the low-costs, only EasyJet flies to Greece from the UK, and then just to Athens.

Air Berlin, Germanwings and DBA fly to Greece from Europe’s biggest travel market, Germany, but only Air Berlin flies beyond Athens or Thessaloniki.

Vlastos confirmed: “We are not talking about Athens, but about low-cost flights to Greece as a whole. We’d prefer access to be throughout the year, beginning this summer. But we have only just started talking.”

At ITB, TUI boss Frenzel also argued the low-cost boom is driving down the quality of tourism, especially in Spain, and questioned whether destinations should continue to court the carriers and the cheap business they bring.

An EasyJet spokesman said the airline is not considering the launch of any new routes to Greece.