Crete: Kasteli Airport tender enters its 2nd phase

The first phase of Kasteli Airport’s tendering process, was completed successfully by the Infrastructure Ministry. The interested parties’ application forms were approved unanimously, after a long scrutiny that lasted 4.5 months by the Committee, and marked as detailed and accurate, allowing the tender to proceed in the next stage.

The 2^nd phase includes the evaluation of the unique offer that was submitted by TERNA-GMR joint venture and is expected to last, roughly, one month. After that, and provided than there will not be any complications, the offer will be finally unsealed.

This step is crucial and could take up to 2 months as, apart from the offer itself, the funding model and other factors will be examined thoroughly. Nevertheless, Infrastructure Ministry encourages the completion of the tender that will lead to the project’s implementation, especially after managing to avert the risks that could cause the tender to start from scratch.

TERNA is also satisfied by the tender’s progress. It is noteworthy that the project, which was first announced in 2009, and was tendered unsuccessfully, for the first time, in 2012.

The Ministry’s goal is for the pre-contractual period (along with the contract’s review by the Court of Auditors) to commence in the Summer 2017, that will, consequently, allow its ratification by the Greek Parliament and signify the initiation of the construction phase in early 2018.

The investment is estimated at 800mn euros with the State’s maximum contribution being 220mn euros. In that sense, it is quite interesting to find out the joint venture’s financial participation in the project.

The project, which will be one of the island’s most important pieces of infrastructure along with Crete’s Northern Motorway Axis (aka VOAK), is due to be completed 5 years after the initiation of the construction stage, making it available for the touristic season in 2023. Undoubtedly, Kasteli Airport and VOAK will spearhead the transformation of the island’s transportation map.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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