Talks to start on extending Athens airport lease

Greece’s privatization agency TAIPED plans to start talks with the shareholders of the country’s biggest airport in the next few days, seeking to extend a concession deal by 20 years.

Under a third EU/IMF bailout agreement signed last year, Greece promised to renew an agreement with Germany-based AviaAlliance and Greek energy group Copelouzos, allowing them to operate Athens International Airport (AIA) until 2046.

The chairman of the board of AIA, who is Greek, has strongly opposed extending the deal beyond 2026, saying it would not benefit the government, but Stergios Pitsiorlas, the head of the privatization agency, said on Monday that the issue was now resolved.

[Reuters]