Below Skiathos traffic analysis for September 2016:

Skiathos traffic September 2016 (compared 2015) by country:

One more summer season has come to an end at Skiathos airport. Last flight for summer 2016, SAS-7463 departed at 06:26LT (0326Z) from Trodheim, performing the longest regular flight of 2.826m/1.756nm to Skiathos, operated by Boeing 737-700.

Scandinavian Airlines B737-700, registration LN-TUJ, landed on runway 02 at Skiathos airport at 11:05L and that was the last arrival of charter flight in the island for year 2016.

Return flight, last take-off at 11:49L, was SAS-7464 with destination Oslo.

Just for history, last flight for summer 2015 was the same flight, SAS-7463, but on October 10, 2015. More details for the last flight of 2015.

Photos and video below:

(above) Boarding of last passengers to fly back home.

(above) ervicing of last charter flight for 2016 on new apron at Skiathos airport.

This is the beauty of Skiathos airport.

Video on our youtube channel:

Fares now with two carriers (Olympic Air and Sky Express) dropped from 96€ one-way to 44€ and 54€ respectively.

Result of competition is lower prices but there still there is a question how the price in the past was that high since there was PSO financial assistance.

The flight decent till 4.000 feet but since the crew notice a problem with the flaps decide to go at Athens airport instead of continue the approach to the very short (for a B757) Skiathos runway.

The aircraft perform a normal landing at Athens and after two hours and necessary checks departed to Skiathos.

The aircraft was G-OOBP with 226 persons (pax and crew) on board.

As destination, Skiathos, along with six other domestic destinations (mainly islands), is no longer operating under PSO (Public Service Obligation). Domestic PSO routes validity was about to expire on 28 October 2016. During recent offers Sky Express announce interest to enter the market between several domestic connections. That interest put those routes out of PSO since there is commercial interest from now on.

However both carriers operating Athens-Skiathos route has to comply with some standards, such operate a minimum number of flights all year round, otherwise there is a penalty of 500.000 euro for both carriers since they “break” the PSO.

According to all above and the announcements of Sky Express and Olympic Air, flight schedule for route Skiathos-Athens from 28 October 2016 to 26 March 2017 will be as follows:

(Departing from Athens)

Monday – 12:30 Sky Express

Tuesday

Wednesday – 08:35 Olympic Air

Thursday

Friday – 12:30 Sky Express

Saturday – 08:35 Olympic Air

Sunday

Recently Olympic Air flew to Skiathos for the first time the new ATR42-600. Here is the photo of the first visit as OA-084 from Athens on 26 September 2016 (SX-OAX)

Photo by George JSI Serris

Traffic from UK is still holding number one place on passengers rank with an increase of 13,18% compared with August 2015. Traffic from Italy is also rise (16,06%) but still coming behind UK no matter if flights from Italy are much more than those from UK. The deference between UK and Italian carriers is that flights from UK using higher capacity aircraft.

Domestic traffic is lower than 2015 no matter if Olympic operate three flights daily. The deference this year was due less flights by Airbus A320. A320s used only Fridays and Sundays compared with much more A320 flights previous seasons. However for summer 2016 we expect increase on domestic traffic due those three daily flights. Especially the new mid day flight catch much more connections from Athens than the other two schedules.

Below Skiathos traffic August 2015 by country:

Below Skiathos traffic August 2016 by country:

August 2015 traffic analysis:

August 2016 traffic analysis:

Today (August 10), all flights served at new apron and passengers transferred to the terminal with busses.

According to NOTAM B712/16 old parking stand no2 is blocked as it is affecting the clearance of taxiway between old and new apron.

Here is the relevant NOTAM

B0712/16 – REF.AIP GREECE AD2-LGSK-ADC,
PARKING STAND NUMBER 2 NOT TO BE USED BY ALL AIRCRAFT
AND PARKING STAND NUMBER 1 ONLY TO BE USED BY TURBOPROP AIRCRAFT
( MAX AIRCRAFT TYPES DH8D/AT72 ). 10 AUG 00:01 2016 UNTIL 10 NOV 21:59 2016.
CREATED: 05 AUG 13:34 2016

According to the above we understand that Olympic Airways flight will use the old parking stand number one, the closest to the terminal, unless Airbus A320 is used (like Fridays and Sundays).

New apron was available since June 24, 2016 according to NOTAM B0583/16 but till today used for few jetliners for trials and from general and business aviation small aircraft.

The allocation of parking stands on the new apron is not finalized yet, since there are no leading lines assigning the stands. Initial master plan shows higher number of parking stands with push-back tracks usage but there was another plan for roll-through parking stands with less capacity. By now ground handlers are not ready for push-back operations. These temporary situation is due privatization of the airport (recently signed between State and private company) with effectiveness of November 1, 2016. So this is the reason why NOTAM B0712/16 validity is early November and old parking stand no2 is temporary unavailable but not closed.

NOTAM:
B0583/16 – REF AIP GREECE AD2 LGSK ADC, APRON EXTENSION AND NEW NORTHERN TWYL
(HATCHED AREA) FULLY OPERATIONAL. 24 JUN 14:32 2016 UNTIL PERM. CREATED: 24
JUN 14:34 2016

Above photo: New apron during first day of “official” operation. Right Meridiana Boeing 737-800 on new apron and left, Olympic Air Dash 8-400 parked at old stand number 1.

The number of private flights expected to rise up at Skiathos.

Here is a photo with eight private planes on new apron during overnight parking at the island.

Also the new apron is allowing servicing of airlines in case there are delayed flights and 3-4 aircraft may arrive together.

By now new apron used as parking for general aviation flights (bottom left) and holding bay for jetliners in case all current three stands are occupied by other airplanes (bottom right)

The “trial” of the new airport was expected to be with Thomson Boeing 757-200 since it is the biggest aircraft operating at Skiathos airport. Finally the first servicing of commarcial jetliner on new apron took place on July 12, 2016 with Thomson Airways flight TOM-7276 from Birmingham.

Above: Thomson flight 7276 of July 12, 2016 Boeing 737-800 G-TAWL during servicing on new apron.

New apron is open and everything is working normally.

The new apron expected to serve commercial jet airlines later this year after Ground Handlers complete several required training.