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Post by artisans on Dec 14, 2015 23:20:11 GMT 2
Airports can add stress to your journey, or they can be so relaxing that you feel you’ve already started your holiday. Our return to Roda this week was just that, and the contrast between Edinburgh & Athens couldn’t have been more noticeable. On reflection, there was roughly the same number of people milling around at each, even though Athens has four times as many departure gates. Edinburgh just seemed so stressful with massive queues for security, poor customer management, blockages in the system and almost utter chaos. By contrast, Athens was just as thorough with their checks although the queues were non-existent, the staff patient, friendly and very helpful. We were into the departure lounge in no time, and with none of the pressure we felt in Scotland ... everything just flowed.
Inside the airport, there was none of the commercial trickery to make you walk circuitously through the shops, but there was a large selection of goods on sale if you wanted them. There were no KFCs, MacDonalds, Costa coffees or Starbucks, just a choice of good food & drinks at prices that were reasonable. On balance, the whole experience was so much more pleasurable than at UK airports, much as it is at European motorway service areas. If ever you need to reach Corfu via Athens, you can look forward to a pleasant transit.
News this week tells us that next year, Ryanair will launch five new routes from Athens in late-March, and that includes three flights a week between Athens & Corfu. In total, Ryanair expects to transfer to Greece some six million passengers through four bases and 103 routes in 2016. The airline’s ultimate aim is to gradually fly 10 million passengers to Greece.
It is also announced that Fraport will lease Corfu’s airport from autumn 2016, and they could spend maybe €10 million per year on improvements over the following three years as part of their deal with the Greek government. CFU enjoyed a great year in 2015, but we do need improvements in the face of extra flights and peak season numbers - especially if the Russians can't go to Turkey!
Steve
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Post by cuthbert on Dec 15, 2015 8:59:49 GMT 2
There is a MacDonalds at Athens Airport.
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Post by janiemou on Dec 15, 2015 10:12:28 GMT 2
Hi Cuthbert, we must have missed the MacDonalds even though we did have a good wander, and they are starting to appear in French service stations but we avoid those ones preferring Autogrill. But Steve was right, we couldn't but be amazed at how calm and efficient the airport was at Athens after being squashed together in long queues, whilst being shouted at constantly about electronics and liquids, and a complete lack of inter personal skills at Newcastle airport. Everything at Athens from the toilets to the waiting areas were clean and very tidy and above all peaceful. There was also free unlimited WiFi and charging stations for your electronics, very handy and useful. The whole experience was a pleasure.
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Post by davelinda on Dec 15, 2015 11:48:14 GMT 2
Steve&Jan,As you know Linda&I go to Athens 2-3 times a year, we like you have always found it to be a good experience helpful friendly staff,no one hassling you to buy things as you wander around & a good choice of eateries to suit all tastes.There is also a lot more seating whilst you are waiting to board your aircraft for ongoing flights.Well away to finish our packing as we are away on Saturday to visit our family in Athens for Xmas,not looking forward to N/cle or Heathrow en-route.Here's wishing you & all our friends we meet up with in Roda all the best for the festive season.Dave&Linda
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Post by artisans on Dec 15, 2015 17:01:32 GMT 2
Hi Dave - I'd forgotten to mention the seating ... not only is there plenty of it, but it's more comfortable too. Have a great time with your family - maybe we'll see you at the airport on your way back!
Best Wishes to you both, Steve & Jan
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Post by artisans on Jan 26, 2016 14:11:10 GMT 2
Few people welcome Fraport's lease of numerous Greek airports but, with over 2.5 million passengers per year, there is no doubt that Corfu's International airport needs additional facilities. It has been announced that works are set to get under way across the network of 14 regional airports that the Frankfurt-based airport operator will invest a total of €330 million in the upgrade and renovation of the 14 regional airports it now controls.
At the top of Fraport’s agenda is the 35,000 sq.m extension of Macedonia airport in Thessaloniki, but it would appear that CFU is also high the agenda. Fraport say that the airport on Corfu will see an increase in terminal space by 2,700 sq.m initially, as well as other works for its modernisation. Looking at the space available on our recent trip through the airport, we wonder if the domestic section might be rejigged to expand into the international departure and arrival halls, with domestic flights being dealt with nearby. We will have to wait and see ...
We notice too, that the short dual carriageway behind the airport is now in use, creating new routes to and from the airport.
Steve
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Post by artisans on Feb 20, 2016 14:34:45 GMT 2
Ryanair has revealed its plans for the plane that will be based in Corfu this year, increasing opportunities for independent travel and low-cost flights.
The new routes will be from Birmingham, Rome, Pisa, Venice, Budapest, Cologne, Bratislava and four Polish airports. Each will enjoy one or two flights per week to CFU and most begin in April.
In addition, there will be increased frequency from East Midlands, Stansted, Charleroi & Milan.
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Post by daveyh on May 6, 2016 9:57:04 GMT 2
May 5th 2016 - Record times were achieved. I flew home by Easyjet with only hand luggage. Got to desk at 11:30, no queue takes 20 seconds while she scans my pass. 12;30 go to security, no queue, passport barely a glance; no queue at scanners. Take off belt and pop phone, wallet, passport etc in tray and bag in other. Straight through no problems. At Luton I was meeting my taxi driver less than 10 minutes after getting off the plane and home in Wycombe less than an hour after get off plane. Amazing.
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Post by davidandpaula2012 on Aug 28, 2016 12:46:09 GMT 2
Shows you how busy Corfu is now when we got off bus we decided to just wait have a cigarette and then go in. Well tell you what we had to go to front of queue after the queues started to pile up outside with planes after us. Tip book in case in then come out. Really busy airport it gave us little time to use up spare euros on village sausage and feta before boarding which was going on then.
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Post by artisans on Feb 16, 2017 12:44:25 GMT 2
Just in time for the first scheduled flights of the season, Fraport Greece is ready to take over management of 14 regional airports, including Corfu CFU, on March 15th. Their Chief Exec has said that “Our goal is the development of airports to better serve these destinations and Greece in general, always in close cooperation with local communities. We strongly believe in the growth potential of the airports and the destinations they serve. This momentum and the chance to become an integral part of Greek tourism’s global success are the two reasons we decided to invest 1.2 billion euros and commit to further investments of over 330 million euros in the first four years of the concession for the development of the airports.”
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Post by janiemou on Mar 9, 2024 14:08:14 GMT 2
The improvements at Corfu airport to the runway have been completed with the first tourists of the season arriving from Berlin yesterday. I am hoping that these early flights will start from the UK in the furure as we have to wait until the last days of March before we get direct flights. As an aside we have had the first cruise ship in the port this week.
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