Indian Group GMR, expresses interest for the privatization of 23 Greek Regional Airports

One of the biggest infrastructure companies in India, GMR, was present at the 84th International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki. According to sources from the big company, they have showed their interest to participate in the privatization of the 23 Greek Regional Airports  which remain public.

According to ypodomes sources, delegation from GMR, visited the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Kostas Karamanlis, about a month ago and expressed their interest about the 23 Regional Airports. That certainly shows the possibilities these airports would have, under a management like Fraport Greece, who runs 14 Regional Airports in Greece.

It is also worth to mention that the Indian company in a joint venture with one of the biggest infrastructure groups of Greece, GEK-TERNA, won the concession for the new International Airport in Kasteli, Crete, the contract of which has been signed, earlier this year. Also, together they were participated at the tender for the concession of the International Airport of Belgrade.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, opened the Indian Pavilion at Thessaloniki International Fair along with the Minister of State of Civil Aviation of India, Hardeep Singh Puri. The Prime Minister hailed the importance of relation between Greece and India and especially took note of recent investment by Indian conglomerate GMR Group at New Herakleion Airport.

On the sidelines of the event, during the meeting with Mr. Srinivas Bommidala – Business Chairman of GMR Group, the Prime Minister said “New Heraklion Airport is of great importance to my Government and I`m happy to witness a successful joint venture between Indian and Greek company to build the new airport in Kasteli, Crete, which has the potential to change the aviation landscape of country”.

Later in the day, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Ioannis Kefalogiannis, also visited the Indian pavilion and stressed the need to develop transport infrastructure in country and the importance of Indian companies experience in developing similar infrastructure.

It is also learnt that, (emphasizing the need of strong aviation ecosystem in Greece), Greek officials took note of the vast experience which GMR brings in aviation sector and praised the new age design of the various airports developed by them across the globe. They expressed desire to develop New Heraklion Airport design on similar standards of world class.