Kavala International Airport, also known as Alexander the Great Airport, is located in Nestos municipality, 32km away from the city of Kavala, Greece. The airport offers direct flights to several European countries and daily flights to Athens, Greece.
The airport is being developed, managed and operated by Fraport Greece, a consortium of Fraport and Copelouzos, under a 40-year concession agreement signed with the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund in December 2015.
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Fraport Greece announced a €10m ($11.8m) modernisation project to upgrade and expand the Kavala International Airport in December 2017 to meet the growing needs of domestic and international passengers.
Expected to be completed by 2019, the renovation project will allow the airport to provide reliable and safe air transportation services to passengers. It is also expected to boost the economy and tourism in Greece.
The airport served 337,963 passengers in 2017, a 22.8% increase from the previous year. Aircraft movements at the airport totalled 3,837 in 2017, seeing a 23.5% increase compared to 2016.
Kavala International Airport history and facilities
Kavala International Airport was originally built by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority as a domestic airport near Amygdaleonas village in 1952. It was transferred to the current location near Chrysoupolis village in 1981 to serve the Greek island of Thasos, the city of Xanthi in Thrace, as well as the cities of Kavala and Drama in north-eastern Greece.
The passenger terminal was upgraded and the existing runway constructed in 1992. The airport was renamed Kavala International Airport in the same year.
The airport currently features an 8,000m² passenger terminal serving both domestic and international passengers. It houses duty-free shops and retail outlets and offers an asphalt-paved car parking lot.
Kavala airport runway details
Kavala airport has a single 3,000m-long and 45m-wide runway (05/23). The asphalt-surfaced runway supports large aircraft such as Airbus A330-300, Boeing 757-200, MD-83, Avro RJ-100, and Boeing 767. Parking spots are available for 12 aircraft.
Details of Kavala airport terminal expansion
The Kavala International Airport modernisation project involved the remodelling and expansion of the existing terminal to incorporate modern facilities and amenities.
The project will add 2,029m² of space to the existing passenger terminal, aiming to provide passengers with more comfort and greater efficiency.
A state-of-the-art baggage handling system with advanced automated screening technology will also be installed and the number of check-in counters at the airport will be increased from eight to ten.
Hold baggage screening (HBS) system with inline technology will be deployed. It will be used for automated inspection of passenger baggage.
Other developments at Kavala International Airport
The improvement project will also include refurbishment and expansion of the fire station, rearrangement of the airport apron area, refurbishment of the airside pavement, and either expansion of the wastewater treatment plant or addition of a new municipal water connection.
Airfield and taxiway lighting systems will also be upgraded.
Financing for the airport expansion
The airport will be upgraded along with 13 other Greek airports operated by Fraport Greece.
A consortium of leading financial institutions in Greece will provide long-term financing of €968m ($1bn) for the upgrade of 14 airports, while Fraport Greece will invest approximately €400m ($426m).
