Aviation in Greece: An SOS for safety

In the last one and a half years in Greece, three private planes and three private helicopters have crashed in Civil Aviation with a total of 5 fatalities (Maleme Chania 9/11/23, Thebes 23/9/23, Heraklion 15/12/22, Evia 28/9/23).

How many tragic accidents similar to Tempi’s would have occurred if these 6 planes had crashed into uninhabited or maritime areas instead of populated residential areas?

An indication of the criticality of the current situation in the aviation sector is the fact that a few weeks ago, members of the opposition and New Democracy (Theodoros Karaoglou) tabled questions in Parliament on the issue of aviation safety and the newly established Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

At the same time, on April 23 and 24, President Manolis Kamilakis and members of the Panhellenic Association of Airport Workers (PAAW) met in Parliament with the leaders, sector leaders, and representatives of the opposition parties (SYRIZA, PASOK, KKE, Greek Solution, Course of Freedom) on the serious issue of air safety.

Αδιανόητο “ρουσφέτι” στη Fraport – Με τηλεχειρισμό ο έλεγχος 14 αεροδρομίων

In these meetings, the representatives of the airport security personnel presented in detail the serious problems that have arisen since the government passed Law 4757/2020. They expressed their concern about the risk of accidents caused by the current government policy and discussed the necessary measures to prevent tragic accidents similar to Tempi’s.

The term “Aviation Tempi” was first coined in Parliament by the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Christos Tsitouras (a close associate of Dimitris Kopelouzos, who used to work for Kopelouzos’ company and is a minority shareholder in Fraport Greece S.A. along with German airport operator Fraport AG), during his testimony on his tenure as CEO of ERGOSE from 1996 to 2005.

Referring to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety audit, Tsitouras, who now supervises his former employer and close associate Dimitris Kopelouzos, stated emphatically: “For God’s sake, let’s move quickly in certain areas to avoid an “Aviation Tempi”.

Worrying incidents at airports

The situation at the airports during the four years of the transitional period of gradual abolition and devaluation of the Aviation Authorities of the airports by Law 4757 of the then Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Kostas Ach. Karamanlis, is hopeless.

Specifically:

1. Recently at Karpathos airport, after a failure in a PPC substation, there was no power to start the generators due to lack of batteries, resulting in no power for many hours. As a result, there was no ambulance service and the patient died.
2. The heliport tragedy of 25.7.2022, in which a 21-year-old British tourist was killed after landing, hit by the propeller in the tail of the helicopter, on the runway of the Superior Air Heliport, located at the end of the “Lolos” multiplex in Spata, very close to the “Eleftherios Venizelos” airport.
3. Accident on 10/9/2022 involving the car that went to pick up Nikos Dendias at Macedonia Airport, resulting in the injury of the driver of the “follow me” vehicle at the airport.
4. Failure to supervise the execution of the work that led to the serious injury of an employee in Corfu on 12/4/2022, the management company failing to appear at a call by the State Airport Service, which carried out the relevant preliminary investigation.
5. Death of a ground handler at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport while unloading baggage, and similar deaths at other airports such as Samos.
6. Failure at Heraklion and Thessaloniki airports to comply with an Aviation Authority order to temporarily suspend aircraft refueling during a thunderstorm, resulting in an employee being injured by lightning and an aircraft fuel tank almost catching fire.
7. Failure to report an incident – which even resulted in the closure of the runway – due to the diversion of an aircraft at Kos airport, without issuing a NOTAM, without faithfully implementing an approved stalled aircraft evacuation plan, without checking the diplomas of the engineer who visited the aircraft and without paying the prescribed temporary self-service fee, with loss of public revenue, due to concealment of the incident.
8. Attempt by the Manager of Kos Airport to violate the Bomb Threat Assessment Team’s decision to control the airport facilities and even in the presence of a high-risk flight to Israel.
9. Lack of control and escape abroad through the illegal abduction of a 6-year-old child by a Norwegian national at Thessaloniki airport on 26/5/2022.
10. Unacceptable delay at Thessaloniki airport on 8/6/2022 in the handling of an emergency EKAB flight carrying a live transplant for surgery on a patient.
11. Unbelievable inconvenience and unacceptable treatment of two elderly disabled passengers at Athens airport on 29/6/2022, who ended up missing Sky Express flight 216 to Heraklion.
12. Ejection of a 61-year-old tourist (7/7/2022) and a 79-year-old tourist (19/6/2022) at Skiathos airport by the exhaust fumes of an aircraft.
13. An Aegean Airlines aircraft skidded off the runway at Milos airport on 14/1/2022.
14. A parked aircraft of a Greek airline attempted to take off from Nea Anchialos airport after being parked for approximately three months without having undergone a technical inspection. Following the intervention of the local airport authority, the departure permit was suspended until the company carried out specific technical measures and inspections.
15. An almost illegal transfer of migrants from Mytilene by an NGO aircraft, which would have exposed the country, was prevented by the Coast Guard.
16. Failure to check the cargo manifest of an aircraft that crashed before landing at Kavala airport to identify dangerous cargo.
17. Failure to carry out an alcohol test on the crew of an aircraft following a complaint by the airline itself against its crew. In the end, the aircraft flew with a crew that was not tested for alcohol. The incident was only recorded in the Heraklion airport incident books.

In Ukraine

Indicative of the government’s priorities, the president of PASA, Manolis Kamilakis, told Data Journalists: “All airports are equipped with special “cannons” that run on LPG in order to chase the birds away, if necessary, so that there is no risk of them being sucked into the engines of the aircraft (bird strike). The Heraklion Aviation Authority also had two old rifles as an alternative, so that staff could fire blanks at parts of the airport if a gas cylinder ran out. They have now been removed to be sent … to Ukraine”.

After the criminal events that led to the Tempi train disaster, one would have expected a 180° turn in the mentality of those in power who determine transport policy, as well as the technocrats and all those involved in its implementation, especially in matters of safety.

However, the same practice that was applied to the placement of the stationmaster in Larissa continues to be applied to the staffing of the newly established Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. Following the reduction in the number of aviation security staff from 289 (Government Gazette / B/1406/19) to 172, the positions provided for its operation are not being filled on the basis of merit or with the skills actually required. Almost half of the 120 staff currently on duty come from services unrelated to aviation. A recent example is the transfer from the Ministry of Culture of an employee specializing in the construction of… castings!

Slapdash Approach

The establishment of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority was not carried out in an appropriate manner, as experts were not consulted. It also faces serious staffing problems due to the unclear salary system, which has led to a number of staff asking to return to the services from which they were seconded 2-3 months after their secondment.

Since 2016

Following European pressure, the Greek state enacted legislation in 2016 to split the CAA into two entities with completely different roles: The -new- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is responsible for all service provision, and the newly established Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, which is responsible for all civil aviation oversight/regulation, after the European Union repeatedly informed our country of the dysfunctions of the single CAA structure, which also controls inspections. Before 2016, there was only the CAA.

Which:

• Operated airports
• Provided air traffic services
• Controlled everyone involved in air transport

So it was responsible for controlling private individuals, but also for controlling… itself! Pointing out this contradiction, the EU imposed a separation in 2016. With Law 4427 of the then Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Christos Spirtzis, this separation was legislated, but not completed.

In 2020, the new minister, Kostas Ach. Karamanlis introduced Law 4757, but this separated the aviation authorities from the airports and removed responsibilities from the airport authorities.

This has resulted in a diminished authority, limited to service in Spata, with a non-existent presence at the country’s airports, precisely where the major safety problems and aviation activities in general occur. This is where there is a real need for adequate supervision of aviation, at source and in real-time, at the airports.

Therefore, while an authority for the control and supervision of airports and the entities operating at them was created, the competent bodies for the control, for which the APA was created, were removed from the airports, as the Airport Aviation Authorities, which originally operated under the CAA, were abolished, and staff with many years of scientific training, experience, and expertise in aviation security matters, the Airport Security Officers, who daily, with systematic and random airport inspections, ensured the implementation of the APA’s responsibilities at Greek airports, Airport Security Officers, who ensure the implementation of the regulations and national and European legislation on civil aviation security through systematic and random airport inspections at Greek airports on a daily basis.

This does not take into account the fact that Greece is a predominantly insular country with 42 airports, 72 licensed heliports, 41 licensed aerodromes (category B airports), and 3 licensed waterways – the number of which is expected to increase dramatically in the next 5 years – which are not easily accessible. Supervision of all this is therefore impossible from an office in Athens.

In addition to monitoring the 158 aviation units mentioned above, there is also the need to monitor airlines, service providers, airport users, airport operators, airport managers, aviation schools, staff degrees, qualifications and backgrounds, and so on. Keeping track of all this is difficult for the few remaining 80 or so airport staff.

In accordance with the recent contractual obligations undertaken by our country towards the investors of Greek airports (e.g. Fraport Greece, paragraph 5 of Article 229 of Law 4389/2016, but also the future second airport in Greece, Heraklion Airport at Kastelli, paragraph 3.1.103B of the Heraklion Convention ratified by Article 1 of Law 4612/2019), the Greek State is obliged to establish and staff the State Aviation Authority of the APA at each of these airports and to exercise a supervisory and regulatory role in matters relating to the application of the rules of aviation law, in accordance with the applicable national, EU and international legislation, including airport control and the systematic conduct of on-site safety and security inspections of flights and airports.

According to the Greek Aeronautical Information Procedures (AIP GREECE) and paragraphs En Route ENR 1.10, ENR 1.11, and ENR 1.2.13, the filing of a flight plan is mandatory prior to any flight, including VFR. In accordance with the current Supersonic Aircraft Regulation (Government Gazette No. 1360/2-9-2010), supersonic aircraft are inspected for the airworthiness certificate, aircraft registration certificate, aircraft station license, certificate of insurance for third-party damage and passenger compensation, as well as for the pilot’s license, conditions for renewal of the license, valid medical certificate and alcohol measurement (based on Government Gazette B 1380/3-8-2007).

When and by whom were all of the above last inspected in relation to all the aircraft that have crashed? Instead of establishing a framework for regular inspections of these critical aeronautical documents, and even carrying out inspections at the airfields from which such aircraft typically operate, all inspections are being abolished, with the downgrading of the legal framework and the absence of competent personnel throughout the country.

It is no coincidence that the Commission points out that the competent authorities of the Member States must monitor the compliance of commercial air carriers with Community law and that the competent authority in Greece did not carry out the necessary checks on this compliance. It has therefore requested that Greek airlines be inspected by the competent authorities of each EU Member State each time they arrive at or depart from a foreign airport.

Loss of revenue

Another serious issue is the revenue that the Greek state could earn from the proper use of all its airports. At the rates charged by Fraport Greece at the 14 airports it manages today, the revenue would be much higher. In contrast, at the 23 regional state airports that remain under the control of the HCAA, charges are still at 1980s levels!

Speaking to Data Journalists, Mr Kamilakis gave the example of Heraklion Airport, where he works. Currently, the airport fee for a private aircraft, such as a Saudi Arabian Learjet, is only €1.64, while the corresponding fee at the 14 airports managed by Fraport Greece is around €200.

A small to medium-sized passenger plane (Boeing 737, Airbus 320) pays about €120, while at Eleftherios Venizelos or the airports managed by Fraport Greece, the fee is €1,200.

The overflight charge currently levied by Greece (€25/mile) is one of the lowest among the 42 member states of EUROCONTROL (European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation), the European organization responsible for air traffic management.

Airline Fees

“EUROCONTROL”, Mr. Kamilakis points out, “allows each country to charge the amount it deems appropriate as an “overflight fee” per kilometer to cover its equipment gaps, assuming, of course, that the country knows its needs best. It does not intervene to tell a country “you are missing this many radars”… But it does come later to inspect you. Unfortunately, this is what happened with the Tempi and the 717 contract.

In order to calculate the amount each Member State receives, there is a “unit rate” for each one, calculated on the basis of the costs of providing the service (i.e. depreciation of infrastructure, staff salaries, services, etc.).

Suppose Greece does not proceed with new infrastructure and equipment, as well as the necessary increase in personnel, etc., due to the increase in “service units”. In that case, the unit rate will decrease to the benefit of the airlines flying over Greece.

Thus, despite the fact that the volume of flights is increasing due to tourist traffic, the ‘Service Units’, which are the uniform measure used by EUROCONTROL to calculate on behalf of each country the corresponding charges for servicing a flight passing through its FIR, will not increase and Greece will not see an increase in its revenue.

Greek private airlines, which operate about 10% of flights in Greece, benefit from the low prices that the Greek state continues to generously offer. However, the other 90% of foreign airlines operating in the country lose millions of euros in revenue, especially during the tourist season.

Rushed inspections… The lack of coordination, understaffing and underfunding have essentially led to a deterioration in safety inspections and compliance with European regulations and national legislation at the country’s airports, raising serious concerns about the potential consequences of this situation.

In advanced European countries, where the operation of private companies in the aviation sector is not new, the control mechanisms are not only not limited but, on the contrary, are being further strengthened and modernized. The reason for this is that the states consistently seek to ensure that the regulatory framework within which all private companies, both national and foreign, operate on their territory remains under control.

In Greece, the government has taken the opposite approach. While granting the use and operation of major airports to private companies for many years, and even subsidizing the existence and activity of private airlines, they are choosing to reduce control over compliance with national laws and European regulations. Instead of increasing controls, they are legislating to reduce them, taking responsibility away from the people who were previously in charge of these tasks and removing them from the field, that is, from the very airport areas where these activities take place!

Remote Control Towers

They even cite technological advances which, in their view, make it possible to replace control towers and people on the ground with cameras and complex telecommunications and information systems. They also ignore the fact that Greece, as an island country, has numerous regional airports and helipads with inherent access difficulties.

Due to the country’s deteriorating safety record, European organizations have been calling since last year for Member States to prioritize inspections of all aircraft operated by Greek companies, citing safety issues arising from the inadequate inspection framework in Greece.

In addition, since last year the European Commission, following an investigation by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), has identified 10 civil and 4 military (dual-use) airports in Greece that lack European safety certification.

For example, on 14 July the European Commission decided to send Greece a letter of formal notice for failing to comply with EU rules on the conduct of oversight activities in the field of civil aviation safety and the verification of compliance by air carriers [Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and Regulation (EU) 965/2012] and for failing to comply with EU rules on airport certification [Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and Regulation (EU) 139/2014]. No action has yet been taken.

A significant risk, which increases during the tourist season, is posed by the 2009 presidential decree on helicopter operations. Although an airport official drafted it, all safety mechanisms were removed before it was issued. For example, the right to occasionally use non-approved take-off and landing sites in emergency conditions, which are deliberately not defined, leaves a loophole for their abuse. Instead of specifying the suitability of conditions for landing in non-approved areas, it is left to the pilot’s discretion…