BBC 2 April, 2001, 23:55 GMT 00:55 UK

Chaos at new Athens airport

The new airport has been dogged by delays and cancellations By Paul Wood in Athens

The Greek national airline, Olympic, has cut back its flight schedule because of problems at Athens' new international airport, which was opened for business last week.

The two old airports in the south of the Greek capital have been closed and all flights transferred to the new $2bn Venizelos international airport.

But there have been massive delays and a number of cancellations.

Olympic said on Monday that it was cancelling one daily flight to Rome and eight domestic flights until 19 April.

Fierce arguments and scuffles were reported at the new airport, as thousands of passengers found themselves stranded for hours while waiting for flights, which were eventually cancelled.

Most of the problems were with the national carrier, Olympic, which had to scrap more than 30 flights on the worst day.

People were also sent back and forth between wrongly identified departure gates and luggage areas.

National embarrassment

At one point, Olympic check-in staff were manhandled by angry passengers, according to Greek reporters at the scene.

The Greek Transport Minister, Christos Verelis, said the problems were caused by Olympic's computers not being compatible with systems at the new airport, but that the problems would be solved quickly.

But other airlines have been affected as well, and the continuing chaos risks becoming a serious national embarrassment.

This is not a situation which flatters Greece, the leading opposition MP, Dora Bakoyanni, said, echoing sentiments expressed far more forcefully by those stuck at the airport.

Officials at the airport, named after Greece's most celebrated 20th-century statesman, say staff have been working 16-hour days and that things are improving.

However, even if the planes start flying on time, the ring road taking traffic from Athens to the airport has not been completed, and it is not due to be finished until just before the Olympic Games here in 2004.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2001