The Juncker Plan has backed a EUR 280 million European Investment Bank (EIB) loan agreement to help finance upgrades to 14 regional airports in Greece. The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the central pillar of the Juncker Plan, was a crucial factor in making this loan agreement possible. The EIB loan will be used for the financing of immediate development works at the 14 airports, including the refurbishment and modernisation of terminals, and the improvement of safety and airfield infrastructure...
The 14 airports are located in: Aktion, Chania (Crete), Kavala, Kefalonia, Kerkyra (Corfu), Kos, Mitilini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Skiathos, Thessaloniki and Zakynthos. These airports served a total of about 25.2 million passengers in 2016. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “Modern infrastructure will play a crucial role in supporting Greece's economic recovery. This requires sustained investment to ensure that it achieves its full potential to create jobs and spur growth. This agreement, with the support of the Commission, succeeds in mobilising private investment to finance upgrades to growth-enabling infrastructure that will support, for example, tourism and mobility. This is a prime example of the type of investments the European Commission is committed to support, as they bring growth and development." The Juncker Plan is already expected to trigger over EUR 3 billion in investments in Greece and a total of EUR 178 billion across Europe. A full press release is available here. For more information on the Juncker Plan in Greece, see here