Airport type Public Location Zakynthos 16/34 7,310 Elevation 5 m Yearly aircraft movements 9,546 | Owner Greek state Elevation AMSL 15 ft / 5 m Code ZTH Phone +30 2695 028322 Passenger count 1,268,497 | |
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Operator Fraport AG/Copelouzos Group joint venture Address Perifereiaki Zoni Ethnikou Thalassiou Parkou Zakynthou, Zakinthos 290 92, Greece | ||
Zakynthos International Airport "Dionysios Solomos" (IATA: ZTH, ICAO: LGZA) is an airport in Zakynthos, Greece. The airport is located close to the town of Kalamaki. Planes are not permitted to land or depart from 22 PM to 5 AM. This is due to the endangered loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) which lay their eggs on the beaches at night. The Greek authorities can and have permitted planes to take off or land at night, but this is very rare. The airport opened in 1972. The airport is 4.3 km from Zante and other seaside tourist destinations such as Lagana, Tsilivi and Kalamaki. The main approach into the airport is Runway 34, meaning aircraft have to fly over Lagana bay and make a 180-degree turn, before flying over sunbathing tourists on the busy Kalamaki beach.
History
In December 2015 the privatisation of Zakynthos International Airport and 13 other regional airports of Greece was finalised with the signing of the agreement between the Fraport AG/Copelouzos Group joint venture and the state privatisation fund. "We signed the deal today," the head of Greece's privatisation agency HRADF, Stergios Pitsiorlas, told Reuters. According to the agreement, the joint venture will operate the 14 airports (including Zakynthos International Airport) for 40 years as of autumn 2016.