The Panhellenic Airports Association issued a statement that it is “experiencing security problems in the country’s air harbors, criticizing the former minister K.A. Karamanlis. As the document says, “there is a possibility of incalculable damage from a possible plane crash.”
After the tragedy at Tempi, complaints were made about the lack of safety on the rail network. Since then, deficiencies have been identified in the rest of the country’s transport network: Airport workers are complaining about staff shortages and sounding the alarm about security problems.
In its statement, the Panhellenic Airports Association (Πανελλήνιου Συλλόγου Αερολιμενικών) presented a very “unpleasant picture” that has existed in the field of air transport for many years, blaming Kostas A. Karamanlis for a lot. She has remained silent until today, and has now issued a statement that she “mourns the unjust loss of so many of our fellow citizens and expresses her deepest condolences to the families of those who died at Tempi.”
Unfortunately, the image of the “collapse” and poor implementation of the security policy on the railway is not the only one. The reality is that for many years a similar situation is developing in the field of aviation. After privatization of the largest airports in the country the Greek state “withdrew itself”, apparently deciding that in practice no need for any supervision on the ground, and there is no need to monitor security issues.
Former Minister Mr. Karamanlis abolished all aviation authorities at all Greek airports, i.e. state authorities that would control the implementation of airport security rules and national and European aviation legislation.
The absence of a state control mechanism at airports threatens the safety of citizensthe state of air transport and the public interest in general, and, of course, does not serve the interests of either passengers and workers, or the good of our country.
“This was done, however, despite the violent reaction of all the opposition and our association, and in fact is so absolutely and documented that the question arises whose interests are being served. Thus, the supervision of security and legality at airports has moved from the real and immediate to the foreshadowing. from afar, and was entrusted to an office in Athens called the Civil Aviation Authority (Аρχή Πολιτικής Αεροπορίας, ΑΠΑ), says the document, “many incidents at airports have become known since then. No one can claim that they did not know their background. Our The association has done its best to inform and stop the decline in the security of citizens, the dangerous and destructive policy of the Minister, Mr. Karamanlis.”
Appeals to authorities:
“At least 15 letters-documents-reports were sent both to the Ministry and to the UPA Administration (Διοίκηση της ΥΠΑ), all Members of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the current Minister of Transport. More than 50 press releases-articles-publications in the press.
Meetings were held to inform all parties in Parliament, which resulted in 18 questions submitted to the authorities by all opposition parties (SYRIZA, PASOK, KKE, ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΛΥΣΗ, MeRA25). Many questions were not answered. And what we got as a “reply” was that “the control is being carried out remotely” and “… we asked the private manager of the airport and he told us that the prescribed procedures were followed. “As if an employee someday he admits to non-compliance with his duties and “gaps” in the system … In a word, mockery, not supervision …
Of course, what has not happened over the past 4 years is the meeting with the minister, Mr. Karamanlis. He never agreed to discuss the problems with us, even though we are specialized personnel for airport and flight safety. It seems that he was not at all concerned about security issues at the airport … All the “air gates” of the country, apparently, “were commissioned and so well designed that they could not be improved. And the one responsible for the airport can act uncontrollably, without obligations. You Does this tactic sound like anything?
So, in addition to being literally broken by the Tempi disaster, we are also outraged by what is being heard and written. We see similarities at all levels. Have you realized how dangerous things can become if left to their own devices?! The Karamanlis model with a very limited structure of the Civil Aviation Authority ΥΠΑ (instead of a model of a decentralized real control system) failed miserably. In most countries EUwhich, in particular, do not have an island character, like Greece, the necessary regional supervisory authorities have been established at the airports. Do we know more than they do?
It is extremely important that APA’s work has become essential by expanding its oversight within airports rather than remotely. An integral part of it is the state aviation authorities of airports, without which real supervision is impossible. If we finally want to talk seriously about transport security policy, the structure of the APA must be immediately revised. Reality doesn’t wait.
Weak off-site and understaffed oversight is not responsible thinking and will not benefit state-owned companies and citizens in any way. If we have airport security incidents, the damage will be incalculable not only to our national aviation, but to an already fragile economy, and it will not be easy to absorb.. Especially if the events are also deadly…”
President of the Panhellenic Telecommunications Association (Πανελλήνιου Συλλόγου Τηλεπικοινωνιακών – FISO, Υ.Π.Α.) Georgios Konstantinakis beats alarm for the safety of flights at ten small airports in Paros, Naxos, Milos, Karpathos, Syros. According to him, no required staffas a result of which specific employees are forced to work full 24 hours, which jeopardizes the safety of passengers flying to specific airports. “The situation faced by those of us who work at smaller airports is very difficult, as there are days when there is only one worker in each position. This happens many times at the Rhodes airport,” said Mr Konstantinakis.
He added that, in fact, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has been keeping the appointment of 16 employees “in the drawers” for more than 4 years, but does not activate them. For this reason, Mr. Konstantinakis, through Newsbomb.gr, is asking the ministry why they are not transferring staff (appointments). In these circumstances, the president of telecommunications makes it clear that The Panhellenic Association will continue to highlight the challenges facing the industry in order to prevent an accident or a new tragedy:
“It is dangerous that the only employee of the airport in his shift has to follow literally everything. His work is similar to the work of a dispatcher, that is, he gives instructions on the situation in the airport area, the state of the runway, weather conditions, etc. At many airports, the territory fencing has been dismantled and sometimes it happened that animals (cattle) were on the runway during the landing of the airliner” (which more than once could turn into a disaster). In addition, there is a problem with frequencies that do not work at some airports, and the situation with transponders is also not easy.”
In general, the results of the foregoing are very impartial. Either the state will “take the bull by the horns” and radically change the transport security system in a broader sense, or we will wait for another catastrophe with innocent victims. Because… “whitefish”.
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