Chios faces four-month airport closure as concerns grow over healthcare and 40 workers
Chios is set to lose its air connection for four months from November, with government representatives offering no clear guarantees on emergency medical transport or the future of around 40 airport employees, according to a report by Efsyn.
Representatives of Chios returned from a meeting with government officials in Athens without securing the cancellation of the NOTAM ordering the four-month closure of the island’s “Homer” Airport. The closure is scheduled to begin in ten days, while the airport is expected to reopen on March 16, 2027.
The government reportedly offered assurances of nine ferry services per week, regular updates on construction progress and the airport’s planned reopening date. However, the commitments were not accompanied by a detailed timetable or cost estimates.
The island’s representatives had called for the NOTAM to be withdrawn, arguing that the closure would have serious consequences for local transport, the economy and public health.
CONCERNS OVER EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT
Healthcare arrangements during the closure emerged as one of the most pressing concerns raised at the meeting.
Representatives of Chios requested a dedicated operational plan covering emergency air transfers, scheduled medical treatments and the transportation of patients to hospitals on mainland Greece, including during adverse weather conditions.
According to Efsyn, the Health Ministry responded with a general commitment to strengthen healthcare provision on the island but did not specify the available resources, procedures or alternative arrangements.
As a result, residents remain uncertain about how patients requiring urgent treatment in Athens will be transported, or how people undergoing regular and long-term medical treatment will maintain access to healthcare.
QUESTIONS OVER CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
The airport expansion project has also raised concerns about whether the work can be completed according to schedule.
Areas designated for the northern extension of the runway, as well as part of the existing runway, reportedly remain construction sites, although the relevant works were supposed to have been completed by September.
Rainfall has further disrupted construction activity, adding to doubts over the timetable.
According to the report, even if the airport reopens as planned, the available runway could initially measure just 1,300 metres, compared with the 1,799 metres envisaged in the project study.
40 AIRPORT WORKERS FACE UNCERTAINTY
The future of approximately 40 employees working for three different companies at the airport remains unresolved.
With only ten days remaining before the closure, the workers have reportedly received no clear information about their employment arrangements during the shutdown or what will happen to their jobs afterwards.
Although the issue was raised during the meeting with government officials, no response was provided, Efsyn reported.
The airport closure is therefore expected to affect not only the island’s transport links but also healthcare access and the livelihoods of workers directly dependent on its operations.
