Skiathos International Airport

Its 5,341-foot (1,628-meter) runway is able to accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767-200. The runway is characterised as 'short and narrow'. Because of the uneven terrain on the island of Skiathos, Skiathos Airport was created by reclaiming land from the sea between Skiathos island and the smaller island of Lazareta (a former leper colony) effectively joining the two islands into one larger island, though it was however built on land already part of Skiathos. The place was chosen by a mechanic who lived in Volos. The airport is named after Alexandros Papadiamantis, a Greek novelist and native of the island.

Skiathos International Airport "Alexandros Papadiamantis" Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Σκιάθου «Αλέξανδρος Παπαδιαμάντης»
IATA: JSI ICAO: LGSK
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Greek State
Operator	Fraport AG/Copelouzos Group joint venture
Location	Skiathos, Greece
Elevation AMSL	54 ft / 16 m
Coordinates	39°10′39″N 023°30′13.23″E / 39.17750°N 23.5036750°E / 39.17750; 23.5036750
Website	jsi-airport.gr
Map
JSI Location of airport in Greece
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 01/19 5,341 1,628 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers 511,611 Passenger traffic change 148.3% Aircraft movements 4,843 Aircraft movements change 63.0%
Sources:Fraport Greece

The airport's short runway and its proximity to an adjacent public road have made it a popular destination for planespotters. It is often compared to Princess Juliana International Airport on Saint Maarten since both airports offer the public an ability to legally experience landing approaches and takeoffs at very close range.

The airport first operated in 1972.

A passenger terminal and a new control tower was constructed in 1988. In 2001 the terminal was closed down by a minor earthquake, and a new passenger terminal opened in 2002, to better accommodate the growing number of passengers.

From 2019, as part of the Fraport construction works the airport has 2 current terminals. Terminal 1 was reconstructed and is currently the Domestic Terminal, and Terminal 2 is for international arrivals.

Skiathos Airport has no jetways, meaning, prior to the 2016 work, passengers walked the short distance from the aircraft to the terminal building, now, a collection of buses drive passengers the short distance.

From 2014, there was extension to the runway and a new taxiway was introduced. The runway was extended by 110 metres on the north side of the airport. An extension was added to the taxiway, for an additional 4–5 parking stands. The airport has the capacity for only 6 additional parking stands. This opened in 2016.

The island has only a roundabout at the airport, and 1 set of traffic lights at the end of the runway.

In December 2015, the privatization of Skiathos Island National Airport and 13 other regional airports of Greece was finalised with the signing of the agreement between the Fraport AG/Copelouzos Group joint venture and the state privatization fund. "We signed the deal today," the head of Greece's privatization agency HRADF, Stergios Pitsiorlas, told Reuters. According to the agreement, the joint venture will operate the 14 airports (including Skiathos Island National Airport) for 40 years as of 11 April 2017.

On 22 March 2017, Fraport-Greece presented its master plan for the 14 Greek regional airports, including the Skiathos International Airport.

Immediate actions that will be implemented at the airports as soon as Fraport Greece takes over operations, before the launch of the 2017 summer season include:

• General re-organisation and reworking of terminal
• Improving lighting, marking of airside areas
• Replacing sanitary facilities with newer systems
• Enhancing services and offering new free Internet connection (WiFi)
• Implementing works to improve fire safety in all the areas of the airports

The following summarizes the enhancement changes that will be implemented for Skiathos International Airport under Fraport Greece's investment plan by 2021:

• Expansion and reorganisation of the terminal building, alongside general clean-up of the apron area
• Additional check-in desk for the current number (from 9 to 10)
• Additional departure gate, expanding the current number of three to four
• Addition of a brand-new security lane to the current one

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Skiathos Airport:

The data taken from the official website of the airport.

Year Passengers Domestic International Total 2009  16,470  218,601  235,071 2010  16,880  213,609  230,489 2011  20,473  226,185  246,658 2012  18,465  236,440  254,905 2013  25,216  240,557  265,773 2014  32,097  283,300  315,397 2015  34,560  318,523  353,083 2016  44,174  350,827  395,001 2017  43,740  380,366  424,106 2018  48,228  389,688  437,916 2019  55,535  390,684  446,219 2020  19,541  69,375  88,916 2021  34,666  171,341  206,007 2022  49,775  461,836  511,611 2023  58,821  494,023  552,844 2024(Mar)  4.360  0  4.360 Traffic statistics by country (2022) Traffic by country at Skiathos International Airport – 2022 Place Country Total pax 1   United Kingdom 192,305 2   Italy 89,464 3   Greece 49,775 4   Sweden 28,440 5   Austria 25,553 6   Germany 25,409 7   Romania 15,862 8   Netherlands 13,676 9   Denmark 12,647 10   Norway 11,876 11   Serbia 10,094 12   Cyprus 10,087 13   France 8,367 14   Switzerland 5,797 15   Poland 5,651 Ground transport Skiathos Airport is located 4.5 km from the city of Skiathos and is accessible either from Skiathos ringroad or the coast road. The journey to and from the city centre takes about 10–15 minutes, depending on traffic. 24/7 metered taxi service is available outside the Skiathos Airport Terminal building. See also List of airports in Greece References