Kos International Airport, also referred to as Hippocrates Airport, is located on the Greek Island of Kos. The airport handled 2.3 million passengers in 2017, a 20.7% increase over the previous year.
The airport is currently undergoing an extensive redevelopment programme, which aims to enhance services for passengers and enable the airport to meet the increased passenger traffic.
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Kos international airport history and details
Established in 1964, Kos International Airport has been one of the major airports in the region, serving a large number of passengers.
It was originally built with a single 1,200m-long runway and an integrated terminal for both international and domestic operations.
The length of the asphalt-surfaced runway was extended to 2,400m in 1974, while a new terminal building was built in 1980. The terminal building was further extended in a series of expansions in 1997, to accommodate growing passenger traffic.
The airport was operated by Hellenic Aviation Authority until it was privatised along with 13 regional airports in 2015.
The ownership of the airport was transferred to Fraport-Greece, a joint venture of Fraport and Copelouzos Group, under a 40-year concession agreement.
Kos airport redevelopment programme details
Fraport-Greece unveiled a master plan for the development of 14 regional airports, including Kos International Airport, in March 2017. The master plan focuses on improving the passenger travelling experience, expanding airport capacity and upgrading the associated facilities.
Intrakat was selected as the engineering, planning and construction (EPC) contractor to complete the redevelopment of Kos Airport, in March 2017. The redevelopment will increase the total size of the airport by approximately 201%.
Fraport-Greece will build a new 23,106m² terminal, which will feature state-of-the-art passenger amenities and heating, ventilation, cooling and air-conditioning (HVAC) facilities. The new terminal is scheduled for completion by 2020.
The degraded runway and apron are also being repaired as part of the redevelopment programme. A new fire station will be built with advanced safety equipment. Check-in counters at the airport will be increased from six to 28.
The security features of the airport will be strengthened by setting up new security check-points. The number of security lanes will be increased from four to nine.
The existing waste water treatment plant will be renovated and expanded to meet the water requirements of the airport.
Construction on the redevelopment
The redevelopment works at the airport started with the restoration of asphalt layers on the runway in February 2018. The airport will remain closed for few days during the refurbishment works in March 2018.
The airport will, however, allow helicopter operations for rescue and medical purposes.
Financing
The redevelopment project is being funded by Fraport-Greece, who is investing more than €30.5m ($36m) to facilitate the development and upgrade works at the airport up to 2020.
Fraport intends to invest €1bn ($1.18bn) during the 40-year concession period. The funds will be used for the re-designing of the 14 regional airports, capacity expansions, and maintenance works.
