ND leader visits Canadair base, thanks firefighters

Conservative New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday visited the Canadair base in Elefsina, western Attica, and thanked the firefighters he met there for their efforts to douse last week's catastrophic blazes.

Mitsotakis met with the chief, brigadier Kyriakos Panagiotopoulos, and talked with pilots of CL-415 and CL-215 firefighting planes and with engineers about the challenges they face including scarcity of spare parts.

Mitsotakis stressed that the repair and maintenance of firefighting aircraft would be a priority under an ND-led government to ensure the safety of pilots but also the operational effectiveness of the planes. 

Last week's fires in Attica were a national tragedy that should never be repeated, he said.