Two ships needed for the winter route from Souda to Piraeus
The need for a permanent presence of two ferry companies during the winter on the Souda to Piraeus route was noted during a working meeting on 9th July between the president of the Chania Chamber of Industry and Commerce Antonis Rokakis and the president of the Chania Harbour Board Dimitris Virirakis. The meeting formed part of the regular cooperation between the two bodies, which has the strategic aim of developing the marine economy of Western Crete and ensuring the smooth coverage of the area’s transport and touristic needs under present day pressures.

According to a press release from the Chania Chamber, the common priority of the two organisations continues to be the regular and competitive service of the connection between the ports of Souda and Piraeus, which is socially and economically critical for the Regional Unit of Chania. There was particular satisfaction, the statement said, at the material response from two of the country’s ferry companies following numerous approaches from the local business community and the Chania Harbour Board. After the recent success of the new daily schedule instituted for the summer months, the two bodies now aim to exhaustively examine the possibilities of maintaining the present day operational schedule during the winter period.

Opportunities for Souda
Mr Virirakis, who as well as head of the Harbour Board is also a member of the Greek Ports Association, informed Mr Rokakis about a strategic opportunity to establish Souda as an intermediate stop in the regular passenger and commercial ferry services between the port of Alexandria in Egypt and that of Volos, which is some 330 km north of Athens. The plan is being put forward as part of the recent memorandum of understanding between the ports of Alexandria and Volos, which was signed on 29th March 2024 with the active participation of the relevant ministries of the two countries and the support of the European Commission.

There is intense interest in the plan from both sides because of its enormous economic and geopolitical significance, not only at an intergovernmental level but more widely for the South-Eastern Mediterranean. For their two organisations Mr Virirakis and Mr Rokakis agreed to begin coordinated efforts to facilitate exploitation by Chania businesses of the commercial opportunities offered by the new interconnection with Greece’s southern neighbour .

Customs clearance office
The discussion then turned to the economic advantages for Chania in the creation of a customs clearance office and secure area for container storage at the port of Souda. It is estimated that businesses in Chania will save considerable time and cost from greater flexibility in the customs clearance and handling of their goods, which at present have to be sent through the ports of Piraeus and Heraklion. It is also considered that the new installation will attract significant commercial interest, resulting in the further commercial development of Western Crete.

The contribution of cruise ships
Mr Virirakis and Mr Rokakis also expressed their satisfaction that the cruise industry, which is an important contributor to tourism in Chania, is already looking to break last year’s record of 150 arrivals and 200,000 passengers, with 156 cruise ships scheduled to arrive this year. In the first 6 months of 2024, cruise visitors to Chania exceeded last year’s total by 35 per cent, with 108,302 passengers arriving and contributing to the local economy.

This makes all more vital the recent approval of financing from the Recovery Fund for the construction of a new passenger terminal with a budget of €13.2 million. The development will radically change the image of the port of Souda, providing high-quality services daily to thousands of cruise and ferry passengers, further strengthening the prospects of its development into a “home port” for cruises.

Infrastructure plans
At the same time, further efforts are needed to secure funding for the extension of the “Adrias” quay at Souda, for which plans are already completed, the sum of €27 million being required to proceed with tendering. The development will significantly increase the capacity and the quality of available services at the main port of Chania. Progress has also been made on the completion of two studies for a marina for 160 small boats and a commercial centre with a unit for small boats repairs, for which funds also need to be sought.

There was also discussion of progress on proposed harbour infrastructure developments in the Regional Unit of Chania, on which the two bodies are collaborating. It appeared that as regards the minor harbours of the Regional Unit, despite recent legislation, the problems arising from their being formerly classed as forest land have yet to be fully overcome.

At the port of Kissamos (Kavonisi) the problem has been circumvented for now with the designation of a water runway from which seaplanes can operate, until the environmental study for the proposed seaplane port is approved. The two men also agreed on the necessity of acquiring permits for two more water runways in the Regional Unit, so as to facilitate seaplane traffic in different tourist areas of Chania.

With regard to the master plan for development at the port of Kissamos, Mr Virirakis was pleased to inform the president of the Chania Chamber that plans are in the process of completion for the creation of an anchorage for cruise ships outside Kissamos harbour, which it is hoped will receive its first visitors in 2026.

Plan for water runways at Gavdos and Georgioupolis
With the main supplier of seaplane services in Greece, Hellenic Seaplanes, engaged in a long-term process of establishing a network of seaplane ports interconnecting the Greek islands and the mainland, this year scheduled, charter and tourist flights are due to begin on selected routes. There appear to be two stages in the process: the securing of permits for seaplanes to land and take off from particular sites, which can be carried out by local authorities, and the installation of buildings and infrastructure to service flights once in operation, which will be a commercial venture by companies such as Hellenic Seaplanes. The permitted sites are generally referred to as water runways, while the term seaplane ports or water airports will refer to the establishment at those sites of of service facilities and infrastructure. It is the first stage which is currently under discussion by the Chania Harbour Board.

As emerged from a meeting of the Chania Harbour Board on Thursday 11th July, the Board is aiming to establish a network of permitted sites in the Regional Unit of Chania. At the meeting, the Board decided to start the planning process for the creation of water runways at the harbours of Gavdos and Georgioupolis, aiming to be in a state of readiness when seaplane services start to operate on the island. With plans already under way for the creation of a water runway at Kissamos, the Harbour Board meeting was held with the mayors of Gavdos and Apokoronas in attendance.

The decision to start the process of establishing water runways at Gavdos and Georgioupolis was taken unanimously, while the costs of the planning studies will be borne by the Harbour Board from its own resources. As the president of the Chania Harbour Board Dimitris Virirakis told Haniotika Nea: “Since trial seaplane flights are now taking place in other parts of Greece, we are trying to fill in the network in the Nomos of Chania with water runways which are easy to get permits for, so as to be ready when the seaplane network starts to operate.” The decision to include Gavdos was made for sociopolitical reasons, such as the capacity to transfer sick patients to hospital.
(Haniotika Nea 10/07/24, 12/07/24)