The time for Kalamata International Airport has come. Superfund has announced that the international tender is starting for the concession of the right to administer, manage, operate, develop, expand, maintain and exploit the Kalamata International Airport, for a concession period of around 40 years. Who will get it?
AAA information indicates that, for the Kalamata airport (which was excluded from the “package” of the other regional airports for which a tender process is also being conducted), there has been recent activity. Well-informed sources say there is interest on the part of Aegean strongman Eutychios Vassilakis. And how he is in consultation with Achilleas Konstantakopoulos (TEMES-Costa Navarino) on this. Because an investment in this particular airport would benefit both sides.
Mr. Konstantakopoulos, who is a shareholder of Aegean Airlines (about 5%, compared to about 37.5% of Mr. Vasilakis), “runs” a giant investment in Costa Navarino, which has turned into one of the top tourist destinations of of the country, while it is a pole of attraction – especially after the completion of the autonomous ultra-luxury residences, the majority of which have already been pre-sold – for high-income visitors. The operation of the Kalamata airport will serve the arrival of visitors by lear jets, helicopters, or even airliners.
The airport bears the name of the father of Achilleas Konstantakopoulos, “Captain Vassilis Konstantakopoulos”. The legendary shipowner had envisioned the creation of all the infrastructure that would turn the wider area into a global tourist destination, something that is happening today.
The Konstantakopoulos-Vassilakis collaboration makes the climate even more favorable for an investment in this particular airport, given that Aegean is betting a lot on the tourism development of Greece, apart from the current “hot” destinations.
After all, the two families are also collaborating on the 65MW photovoltaic park development project with the energy giants Masdar (owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mudabala sovereign wealth fund) and Taaleri Energia (incorporated in Helsinki). The Konstantakopoulos side participates through the Kyoto subsidiary, and the Vasilakis side, through Autohellas (a member of the Vasilakis Group). The two businessmen also jointly own (with percentages of 50% in TEMES and Autohellas ATEE) the tourism investment and construction and commercial exploitation company of sports facilities, Sportsland.
The same sources point out to AAA that the two powerful businessmen have been discussing the issue for a long time and that it is possible that they will come to a common format in the bidding process. All this will be confirmed – or denied – very soon, as the start of the competition takes place after the drawing up of the text of the Invitation to Expression of Interest (Expression of Interest) and the publication of the relevant announcement in the newspaper of the European Communities (7/09). In any case, the decisions of the Kopelouzos Group as to whether Fraport will participate in the relevant process will have particular weight.
