PAPHOS Airport will officially start operating on November 17 and cracks have already started to show.
In a discussion at yesterday’s House Communications Committee, which at times became heated, it emerged that there were a number of problems that need to be addressed before the airport opens its doors to the public.
Hermes spokesman Michalis Miltiadous presented the committee with a slideshow of photos of the new Paphos Airport, as well as shots of Larnaca’s one, which is expected to be finished next year.
“The construction of Paphos Airport has finished and been handed over to Hermes,” he explained, adding that the administrative staff had already moved to the new building
According to Miltiadous, test runs are currently under way to ensure everything goes smoothly when the airport starts operating in mid November.
One disagreement between private company Hermes and the state was when the former demanded to have control over the telecommunications systems of the police. The police, of course, refused, citing the risk such a measure would impose on the airport’s security.
“This can’t happen,” Committee Chairman Zacharias Koulias of DIKO said after the meeting. “Certain things need to be left to the state.”
DISY deputy George Georgiou added, “We were shocked to be informed by the airport’s safety manager that Hermes had asked for access to the police systems. We agree with the police that it is unacceptable – for safety reasons – for a private company to request to intervene in the work of the police.”
As Georgiou pointed out, “The role of this state service is not supplementary, but primary to ensuring safety in airports.”
The Travel Agents’ Association also pointed to the lack of provision in the Hermes contract regarding the creation of a cargo area, which at the moment is non-existent.
“We found out today that there was no provision for this, neither for a specified building nor for who will be in charge of it,” said Koulias, adding that the company had been given two weeks to come up with an answer to the problem and inform the Committee on it.
Koulias was also concerned over the fact that it appeared in the slideshow that signs were only written in English. “What will someone who can’t read English do, when the signs in his own country’s airports aren’t written in Greek so he can understand them?” the Committee Chairman wondered.
Finally, the Committee wanted to know what would happen with the airport car parks. “We have been left at the mercy of a private owner,” said Koulias. “We want to know what’s going on and how we went from 30 cents to £2,” he added, referring to the sudden increase in car park charges after Hermes took over Larnaca Airport.
The Communications Committee will visit Paphos Airport next week to check the situation out at first hand.
