Kalamata International Airport "Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos" is an airport in the city of Kalamata, Greece. It mainly receives flights during the summer. In March 2013, Aegean Airlines opened a base in the airport.

Overview

The airport is located between Kalamata and Messini on GR-82 (Pylos – Kalamata – Sparta) and west of the train tracks on the Pamisos River plain. The runway is about 2.7 km long and runs from north to south from the highway north to the plain. The terminal lies to the east and is accessed with GR-7/E55/E65 (Kalamata – Tripoli – Corinth). There is a military base of the Hellenic Air Force and an air-training department to the west of the runway. The air base uses the same runway as civilian aircraft.

History

Kalamata International Airport was opened in 1959. Charter flights began to operate out of the airport in 1986 and a new terminal was built in 1991. The same year Hellenic Civil Aviation took over as operator of the airport. In 2012 the airport was renamed after Vassilis C. Constantakopoulos.

Airlines and destinations

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

Statistics

Accidents and incidents

Ground Transport

Travelling to and from Kalamata Airport by bus is convenient, with good connections between the Airport and Kalamata. The bus pick up and drop off point is located close to the terminal building. Bus rides between the airport and Kalamata take 20 – 25 minutes. The airport has been criticised for the lack of public transport. The only way to reach the airport is by car, taxi or bus. The neighboring railway line to Messini and Kalamata was shut down in 2011.