Piraeus, 21.12.2011
PRESS RELEASE
The President and CEO of PPA SA, Mr. Yiorgos Anomeritis, presented at a press conference, the results for 2011 for the cruise sector of PPA SA and the cruise policies of the Organization for the coming years.
1. Cruise ships which in 2011 approached the port of Piraeus totaled 936, compared to 823 in 2010, an increase of 13.73%.
2. Throughput of cruise passengers in 2011 amounted to 2.515.191 compared to 1.864.657 in 2010, an increase of 650.534 passengers i.e. 34.89%.
3. Home porting passengers amounted to 454.387 (+6.63%) and transit passengers amounted to 2.060.804 (+43.26%).
4. Within the decade 2002 - 2011 home passengers increased by 198% and transit passengers by 339%.
5. Infrastructure
• In 2011 the Cruise Passenger Station A (Ag. Nikolaos) was refurbished and extended by 6,300m2
• In April 2012 the new Cruise Passenger Station B (Themistocles) will be completed, with an area of 5,200m2
• In May 2012 a new Cruise Passenger Station C (Miaoulis) will be completed, with an area of 3,200m2, at the pentagonal warehouse of the "Pagoda” structure.
• New control gates, baggage conveyor belts, vehicles for both passengers and luggage, parking spaces for buses, taxis, etc. are becoming operational.
• In May 2012 the new quay of Ag. Nikolaos with two new cruise berths and an area of 8,700m2 will be delivered.
• In 2012 will start the project of the expansion of the southern part of the central port with 6 new berths for the new generation cruise ships. Already, all necessary studies and permits have been completed and obtained and the project is considered fully mature.
6. Policies
• PPA SA management has decided to retain, for the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (year of completion of new port infrastructure), tariffs at current levels with only an annual adjustment according to the price consumer index, with no other changes or additions.
• A tariff scale for “large customers” was adopted.
• Special discounts (5% - 30%) were adopted
• Berth availability guarantee and priority berthing based on prior notification of at least 12 months.
• Berth assignment for “large customers” is adopted.
• Common check-in for both airports and port terminals
The above initiatives lead to the following:
a. The cruise sector is becoming one of the most important activities of PPA SA
b. Based on number of berths (11), Piraeus remains the biggest cruise port in the Mediterranean.
c. Piraeus cruise port tariffs remains 30% less than all the other Mediterranean ports.
d. The passenger terminals areas increase from 5.900m2 to 11.200m2 within 2012.
Commenting on the positions of a few suggestors for a new cruise port in Faliro, Mr. Yiorgos Anomeritis said: "From the ancient times of Themistocles until after the National Independence years of Othon’s reign, Athenians questioned whether the main port of Athens should be Faliro or Piraeus. This issue has historically been resolved with huge investments, which in the meantime were undertaken in Piraeus. Those continue to abide to this suggestion ignore: (a) the shallow depth in the region of Pavilion / Flisvos is prohibitive for large vessels, (b) the two river mouths at the Pavilion Bay, (c) the period where it is used as a track for sailing organizations, (d) the use of the region as a center of marine tourism with 4 large marinas, (e) the redevelopment of the Olympic sea front from SEF to Flisvos as a promenade and used for recreation, (f) the designation of the area as residential and finally (g) the sea conditions in the area, where south winds create waves of 4-6 meters according to measurements and the fact that no one has calculated the economic costs of building a new port and the required extremely expensive land area development and infrastructure. Piraeus and its port is the only area for the cruise development in Attica.
As the Athens Urban Development Agency acknowledges in its draft of the Master Plan for Athens 2021, the only small additional space for cruise activity could be located at Lavrion under certain conditions, but under no circumstances at Faliron Bay."
