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Greece New Aviation Initiative Supports Sustainable Tourism Growth And Positions Skyros As A Premium Travel Hub In The Aegean Sea
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Greece has announced a first-ever aviation initiative that strengthens Skyros’ connectivity with foreign markets by air, encouraging sustainable growth in tourism and turning the island into a luxury hub of the Aegean Sea. This initiative maintains a balance between economic development and preserving Skyros’ untarnished natural appearance and heritage by incorporating new airways, providing luxury private flights, and collaborating with airlines on affordable flights.
It has announced a strategic collaboration with Skyros municipality to boost its air connectivity and promote its emergence as a key tourist destination worldwide. This move is a major stride toward changing the island’s access while retaining its original nature and heritage.
This deal is the third major partnership between the aircraft company and Greece, after earlier deals in 2022 and 2024 with other municipalities. These developments demonstrate the company’s ongoing emphasis on regional development and its objectives to see Greece’s network of islands achieve its tourist potential.
Almost twenty years of experience in its own industry and a proven track record across Europe, the firm can bring a considerable amount of experience to Skyros. It tries to find innovative solutions in order to achieve sustainable growth for tourism while ensuring congruity with the unique personality of the island.
The biggest and most sprawling member of the Sporades group is Skyros, which has been called a pearl of the Aegean hidden away. Renowned for its wild beauty, ancient architecture, and old heritage, this island offers a true and tranquil experience well out of mass tourist traffic. From wooded landscape and white sand beaches to vibrant native cooking and folklore, the island offers a broad range of attractions. A distinctive biodiversity evident on the island, ancient archaeological sites, and renowned native horses add to its attraction to visitors in search of unforgettable and enriching experiences.
As part of the agreement, luxury air charter unit of the firm aims to take a central role in generating new access to the island. Focused on tailored private planes and helicopters, the unit is going to make available versatile and high-end transport modes in 2025–2026 tourism campaigns. While doing this, it aims to respond to increased demand for luxury holidays in Greece and Europe.
The Skyros Airport, with its 3,002-metre runway, already provides frequent connecting flights between Athens and the island and can readily accommodate larger planes and overseas charter aircraft. Through its favourable location near the port of Linaria and its robust infrastructure, it offers itself as a key gateway to boosting access by air to the island. This offers itself as a strategic base for a broad spectrum of high-end and mass market tourist markets.
The firm will work closely with national authorities to attract foreign tour operators and key airlines with the potential to supply charter and seasonal flights to Skyros. It will also attempt collaborations with budget airlines to set up systematic and affordable routes of travel and guarantee year-around access by a wider range of travellers. These efforts will ensure the development of the island as a multipurpose tourist destination and cater to luxury and mass market travellers.
This initiative aims at making Skyros a high-standard new destination in the Aegean. Better connectivity by air will enable the island to accommodate more foreign visitors while promoting local businesses and inhabitants. Airport refurbishments later through international tenders, as well as its availability to provide aviation fuels, should become key determinants in such a redevelopment.
The airlines promote their sustainable development vision, under which balancing rising tourist arrivals and environmental and cultural heritage conservation will constitute a balanced strategy. Using its expertise in the sectors of aviation and tourism development, it will assist in the construction of a dynamic and resilient regional economy.
The chartering and sales of aircraft company was formed in 2006 and runs its principal bases in European capitals. It subsequently widened its operations to encompass private aircraft transport options as well as advisory services on local airport construction. This new venture is a reflection of its aspirations to foster greater worldwide popularity and economic development among Greece’s smaller islands.
Skyros, owing to its combined natural scenery, heritage, and authentic experiences, will benefit immensely from this strategic partnership. From its cobblestoned streets and ancient sites to its distinctive wildlife and native festivals, the island presents holidaymakers a unique escape amidst the Aegean.
As local authorities and airlines work together, their collective objective is to achieve a sustainable island tourism model in Skyros. This collaboration will have a positive, long-term effect, not just by boosting visitor numbers, but by ensuring that development retains and enhances the island’s unique traits.
Greece’s new flight strategy reinforces Skyros’ airborne linkages to promote sustainable tourism and establish a high-end Aegean portal out of the island by combining modernized airport connectivity with economical and luxury flight options. Thanks to this initiative, Skyros is ready to start a new development era, greeting visitors from all corners of the world and firming its status as one of Greece’s most captivating islands.
The agreement covers essential pilot training programmes such as initial and recurrent training, captain upgrade, and flight simulator services. Tunisair Express already started to work closely with the ATR Training Centre to validate courses and simulator sessions, and the first training sessions already took place.
This regional airline has been serving Tunisia’s domestic and regional markets since 1991. Operating primarily from Tunis-Carthage Airport, Tunisair Express connects destinations within Tunisia, as well as international routes to Malta and Italy. With a fleet of two ATR 72 aircraft, the airline ensures reliable air links that support economic activity, tourism, and essential transportation needs in the country and across the region.
Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines is discontinuing all of its West Coast service by Dec. 2, 2025. The change is a major strategic turnaround for the carrier, which began operating its first flights from Burbank Airport earlier this year. The company says the move is due in large part to fierce competition, while an unsustainable cost grind has rendered its West Coast network unsustainable.
For Avelo, it’s not just a route shift. It represents a deliberate turn in strategy — from growth to profitable sustainability. The airline will now concentrate its efforts on its six East Coast bases, where it believes it has a better shot of earning sustainable returns.
Burbank From Launchpad to Exit
The first base for Avelo has been the one at Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles metro region, and one that is perhaps fittingly emblematic of its lift off. Launched in April 2021, the airline promised a game-changing disruption of the short-haul air market. It sought to provide significantly discounted fares and focus on underserved routes that the old-line airlines had for years ignored.
Avelo achieved a monthly high of 190 departures by July 2024, serving as many as 14 destinations from Burbank. These were a mix of regional and mid-distance flights marketed at those on a budget looking for alternatives to the major airline hubs.
But as of mid-2025, the power had dwindled to just eight active destinations, as the empire quietly withdrew from an increasing set of problems. The others as of July 2025 were:
Eureka and Santa Rosa, California
Eugene, Medford, Bend, Salem, Oregon
Kalispell, Montana
Pasco, Washington
Avelo also kept a Las Vegas to Santa Rosa route, using planes that were based in Burbank.
“All That Investment, and It Didn’t Pay Off”
The airline said it had spent a lot of time, effort and money on developing its west coast network. But as the company now concedes, the financial results were less than exciting.
The operational environment on the West Coast had become “onerous” and did not produce the financial return necessary to keep the airline profitable, Avelo said in a recent statement. Executives told investors they had overestimated demand in the market and underestimated operating costs including airport fees, salaries and competitive forces.
This, the airline stressed, comes as part of an “ongoing objective” to maximise performance and move the business into “sustainable profitability”.
Closure Timeline for Burbank Operations
Here’s how the airline has outlined the gradual shutdown of its Burbank base, which started with schedule cutbacks and will conclude with the base shutting down completely:
Aug. 12, 2025: The two, Burbank-based fleet will be shrunk to one.
Late August 2025: Four major routes — to Las Vegas, Salem, Santa Rosa and Kalispell — will be eliminated.
December 1 to 2, 2025: All remaining flights will be removed and the base will be closed in its entirety.
East Coast Takes Center Stage
Now with the West Coast draw down, Avelo Airlines will focus in full on the operations that originate from its six East Coast bases. These hubs are economically more compelling, with average returns that are higher, lower competition and higher passenger demand, the airline has claimed.
Avelo’s largest and most active base is currently located in New Haven, Connecticut. The airline also maintains operations in the following strategic secondary markets:
Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, near Charlotte, North Carolina
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Lakeland, Florida
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, North Carolina
This geographic focus will enable Avelo to simplify the operation, minimize fixed costs and optimize aircraft utilization throughout its network. In particular, the airline is interested in underserved East Coast airports with no low-cost competition that it can develop long term.
Effect on travelers and Domestic Markets
Burbank marks the first departure for Avelo here, which is a loss for West Coast travelers who no longer have direct access to Avelo’s ultra-low-cost fares. For others, particularly in smaller or less-connected cities, it could mean fewer travel options — or more expensive tickets — as competition dries up.
Customers who have booked flights beyond the dates of closure will be contacted directly by the airline. They will receive refunds or be given rebooking options as per Avelo’s customer policies.
The Burbank closure also has implications for the lives of Avelo workers, contractors and the ecosystem of businesses left scrambling in Avelo’s absence, though specifics on workforce impact were not provided at press time.
Industry View: The Failure of Avelo’s West Coast Plan
Avelo’s withdrawal from the West Coast is shaping up as a cautionary tale, analysts say. The carrier walked into a market dominated by heavyweights such as Southwest, Delta and United — all of which have built up brand recognition, loyalty programs and extensive operational muscles.
Margins were also squeezed by increasing operational costs such as fuel prices, and airport charges, as well as shortages of staff. The COVID-19 crisis has further changed the way people travel, reducing predictability in short-haul regional flying.
Unlike its East Coast destinations, many of Avelo’s West Coast destinations never made it to the essential load factor required to cover its costs. There were lower barriers to profitability on the East Coast, with its less congested secondary airports, while the Midwest, where the airline had fewer flights, and the West Coast had higher ones, he said.
What’s Next for Avelo Airlines?
Industry observers say that Avelo’s new focus on the East Coast could provide more of a long-term path. Markets such as New Haven are already proving to have sufficient demand from passengers, and other markets, whose airports are under-served, could also be potential strongholds.
With its pared-back footprint, Avelo aims to take advantage of underserved markets, lower fixed expenses and less complex route development. Analysts say it could help transition the new startup to a higher profit per aircraft and a more efficient business model.
The Next Stage: Growth to Sustainability
Avelo’s departure from Burbank is not just a withdrawal — it is a shift in strategy. The airline now seems to be moving away from a flier-are-better mentality and concentrating instead on operational robustness and financial stability.
This change says a lot about the big picture in the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) space. Citing economic headwinds and changing consumer desires, ULCCs increasingly looking to establish a permanent home in a market rather than blanketing the map.
That translates into West Coast passengers having fewer choices in low-fare travel. But for East Coast travelers, Avelo’s reboot may translate into superior service, more predictable scheduling and a more robust route map designed to contend with the future.
Home»AIRLINE NEWS» India and Kuwait Strengthen Aviation Ties with Major Air Travel Capacity Boost, Opening New Opportunities for Travelers Between the Two Nations
Friday, July 18, 2025
In an unprecedented decision reflecting the depth of relations and cooperation between the two friendly countries in the field of air transport, Kuwait and India will lift the number of flights of the two countries by 50% from 12,000 to 18,000 each side per week. The first in close to 20 years, the expansion has been made in response to a greater need for people to travel between the two countries – including a significant expatriate Indian community in Kuwait. Under the contract savings will be passed on to passengers through competitive travel pricing, the alleviation of price increases and greater accessibility, resulting in a more flexible and efficient passenger experience. With the substantial increase in air capacity, the two countries will have enhanced connectivity and increased flexibility of operations for airlines.
India and Kuwait have formalized a historic agreement to expand their air travel capacity, representing a major advancement in their aviation partnership. This agreement will enhance the bilateral air capacity by fifty percent, increasing the weekly seat allocation from 12,000 to 18,000 seats for each country.The updated arrangement, signed after nearly two decades of unchanged terms, was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi.
The agreement was the result of negotiations between Samir Kumar Sinha, Secretary of India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, and Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of Civil Aviation from the UAE. This follows discussions held during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Kuwait in December. The revised air service agreement is the first capacity expansion since 2006, when the quota was increased from 8,320 to the current 12,000 seats per week.
The expansion of air capacity comes at a crucial time, with increasing demand for travel between India and Kuwait, particularly for the sizable Indian expatriate community living in Kuwait. Many of these individuals come from southern states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. By increasing the seat allocation, the new agreement aims to reduce fare pressures and provide more affordable and accessible travel options for passengers.
The newly revised air service agreement also promises to improve connectivity by offering additional flights and seat availability.At present, approximately 40 flights operate daily between India and Kuwait, with Kuwait Airways taking the lead, offering 54 weekly flights. Following closely behind is IndiGo, which operates 36 weekly flights. Other airlines operating on this route include Jazeera Airways, Akasa Air, and Air India Express, offering passengers a range of options for their travel needs.
A major benefit of the revised agreement is the enhanced access Indian airlines will gain to airport slots in Kuwait.For years, Indian carriers have faced difficulties securing timely slots at Kuwait International Airport, which has limited their ability to efficiently operate on this busy route. The new agreement alleviates this challenge by opening up more slots for Indian airlines, thus enhancing operational flexibility.
This deal represents a significant shift in the aviation landscape between India and the Gulf region. The Gulf states, including Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, are among the largest aviation markets for India. Millions of Indian nationals reside and work in these countries, fueling demand for frequent air travel between the regions. In particular, Indian nationals have long been a vital part of the labor force in Kuwait, with many making regular trips back home to visit family, attend to personal matters, or for medical treatments. The expanded air capacity will provide much-needed support for these travelers, enabling them to travel more conveniently.
Indian carriers have long sought additional seats and airport slots in Gulf countries to better compete with the region’s powerful Middle Eastern airlines, which dominate the airspace with their extensive networks and superior services. The revised agreement with Kuwait aims to create a more level playing field for Indian airlines, enabling them to increase their market share in the region and compete on equal terms with their Middle Eastern counterparts.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation in India has emphasized that this agreement is part of a broader strategy to modernize and revise the country’s bilateral air service agreements. These revisions aim to better align with current market trends and passenger demands, ensuring that Indian airlines can thrive in an increasingly competitive global aviation market. This is consistent with India’s efforts to enhance its international air connectivity and foster greater travel opportunities for both citizens and foreign visitors.
Kuwait’s aviation authorities have also expressed strong support for the deal, seeing it as a strategic move that will not only benefit their nationals traveling to India for business, healthcare, and leisure but also strengthen bilateral relations with India. This move is seen as an important step in fostering closer ties between the two nations, building upon the diplomatic and economic collaboration that has been growing steadily in recent years.
As India and Kuwait embark on this new chapter of their aviation partnership, both countries stand to benefit from enhanced connectivity, greater operational flexibility, and a significant boost in passenger traffic. The deal reflects the evolving nature of global aviation markets and underscores the importance of bilateral cooperation in meeting the needs of modern travelers.
Kuwait and India have raised seat entitlements by 50 percent, which now stands at 18,000 seats for each side per week, to cater to the growing demand and to enhance connectivity which would in turn come to the aid of airlines and our traveling public.
Moving forward, the limitation of the capacity on air travel between India and Kuwait will have widespread implications not just for the airlines but also for many millions that are dependant on these services for personal, professional and medical purposes. With more choice, it means less costs and greater convenience,” This will continue to impact the UAE-Nigeria travel experience, and would set the right tone for a positive precedent in terms of the introduction and implementation of such bilateral agreements with other nations in the Gulf sub-region.
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