The major new £422million airport set to transform European island with 18million passengers a year
GREECE'S biggest island is getting a huge new £422million airport.
Heraklion, on the island of Crete, is currently preparing for a new airport in Kastelli which is scheduled to open in February 2027.
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According to the New Heraklion International Airport, the new airport will serve 10million passengers each year, after opening.
This number will then rise to 18million after some time.
There will be 19 boarding gates, eight of which will be of combined use for Schengen and Non-Schengen flights.
There will be space for 27 aircraft and also a terminal building with five levels of retail space and permanent exhibition areas.
A masterplan map also shows an area shaded in purple that suggest future retail space.
In addition, the airport is due to be one of the biggest in the country and when it opens it will replace the existing Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport in Heraklion.
Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport opened back in 1937, however, it can only accommodate eight million passengers a year.
Greece each year.
The airport will be located a 25-minute drive away from Heraklion, which is the largest city on the island.
In total, the airport is expected to cost €500million (£422million) to build and generate a total of 7,500 jobs in the area as well as a further 37,000 indirect jobs.
The new £7billion mega terminal opening at Changi Airport
In addition, the new airport is expected to give new life to Crete's tourism.
According to Tornos News, the new airport will create a number of new roads and contain one runway which stretches 3,200 metres long with one parallel aircraft movement taxiway,
A trial launch of of the airport will take place next summer, before a full opening in 2027.
Currently, airlines including easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways fly to Crete.
These are likely to move to the new airport when it opens.
And there are a number of other new exciting airports opening around the world.
A new £25billion mega airport is also opening in Europe to 'take on Heathrow and Dubai' with 65milllion passengers.
Plus, one of the world's busiest airports reveals plans for new £7billion mega terminal with 50million more passengers.
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The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
I stayed in a floating yacht hotel in Europe – we had champagne breakfasts on a budget and even spotted celebs
DAVID WALLIAMS was sitting at the next table offering to massage a newlywed couple. First morning aboard the Sunborn floating hotel in Gibraltar and the professional extrovert was in full character, engaging with star-struck holidaymakers as only he can, with a twinkle in his eye. 6 6 6 We arrived too late the night before to catch the Little Britain comic's one-man show at a sports centre but apparently it went down a storm. He has already asked to return for November's literary festival, and it's no surprise. Gibraltar has for so long been pigeonholed as a stopover for day trippers. Passengers on the 250-odd cruise ships that briefly moor under the Rock's majestic presence dash around to see a few sights but mainly aim to take advantage of the VAT-free shopping. It's a trend the local tourist board is working hard to reverse. They want travellers to take more time fully taking in the surprisingly large number of things to do on a tiny sun-kissed slab of Britain at the mouth of the Med. And when beer is just £3.75 a pint, why not stay longer to enjoy? Secret bunker Gibraltar's gripping history has a deep association with our Armed Forces. The Royal Engineers were founded here in the 18th century and practically built the place. The honeycomb of tunnels dug by clever sappers during World War Two offers a fascinating insight into the work of our determined Armed Forces and the strategic importance of Gibraltar during the conflict. In one cavern hangs a full-size replica of a legendary Spitfire fighter plane. There is also the spine-chilling story of the Stay Behind Cave — the once secret bunker carved into the heart of the mountain, complete with provisions for a year and a bicycle generator. An elite group of patriotic volunteers agreed to be sealed off from the outside world for a year and spy on the Axis powers, should Gibraltar get overrun — the ultimate one-way ticket in the line of duty. From the exotic Moorish times, through the centuries of the British Empire and beyond, there are tours to take and a bloody back story to hear in the name of entertainment. Strait of Gibraltar Tunnel: A New Bridge Between Continents My wife and I stayed four nights on the permanently moored Sunborn yacht hotel, anchored flush against the dockside of Gibraltar's Ocean Village. It's a 5H joint, and the food and service reflects that. Yet even in high season, a spacious double room with a large window can be yours for £185 a night, including champagne breakfast. Step ashore and you can be seated in one of many lively bars with giant outdoor screens beaming major sports from back home. If that's not for you, just 50 yards away is Little Bay Restaurant — a vibrant Indian fusion eaterie where bubbly manager Kelly welcomes you with warm cockney charm, before delicately blended curries combined with zingy cocktails top off an early summer evening. Gibraltar's biggest attraction in every sense is the looming mound of limestone that dominates everything here. Get to the top via the scenic cable car and peer down from the stomach-churning Skywalk 1,400 feet above the sparkling sea — opened by Luke Skywalker, aka Mark Hamill, himself. Take in the view across the Straits, a 15-mile- wide blue chasm separating Europe from North Africa — which David Walliams heroically swam in aid of Sport Relief in 2008. The Northern Defences are also worth a visit. This cavernous labyrinth of tunnels has been added to over time, since the eighth century. Our guide, Karl Viagas, is steadfastly uncovering more historical treasures underground that will be spectacular when fully open. 6 6 6 James Bond creator Ian Fleming was stationed here with Naval Intelligence, and daring undersea attacks on the Allied fleet by Italian scubamen in the war fuelled his already vivid imagination for future books and movies. And in true 007 style, we were accompanied by a glamorous former Miss World who would grace any Bond movie. Kaiane Aldorino, former Mayor of Gibraltar, is now an ambassador for the territory. Sunshine, cheap beer and a beauty queen for company — plus you can spend British pounds. But like many places, travel and the natural world can often rub each other up the wrong way. Gibraltar's playful macaque monkeys are funny to watch for a time but have become a way for taxi drivers to make a few easy quid. The roads at the top of the rock were clogged with cabbies queuing to feed junk food to these wild animals in return for them doing tricks. Far better to join Brian Gomila on his Monkey Talk tour in the kinder environment of the surrounding trees. And if you really want to go green, join Stuart at EBike-Gibraltar. Power-assisted cycling on a lap around the base of the rock is easy on the legs and the eyes as you stop off at small fishing villages with inviting beaches. There's a lot of fun to be had too. A dizzying gin-tasting session at the Spirit Of The Rock distillery was as enlightening as it was alcoholic. David Walliams might agree, it's Little Britain — but with Spanish style and weather.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
How could one man give the nod to a brash £40m tourist trap in the best loved beauty spot in Scotland?
It is possibly the most unpopular tourism proposal in Scottish planning history. People living nearby are overwhelmingly against it. Even Conservative and Green politicians for a united front in condemning it. The number of objections from across the country and beyond is unprecedented. More than 155,000 people have said no thank-you to a leisure resort on the banks of Loch Lomond, perhaps the nation's most jealously guarded scenic treasure. But there is a number still more extraordinary than that. It is the number of people who, ultimately, decided whether a plan by a Yorkshire company called Flamingo Land to plonk a £43.5 million complex with hotels, lodges, restaurants, a waterpark and monorail in Scotland oldest national park should be given the nod. That number is just one. The lone decision maker was David Buylla, who goes by the title of principal reporter for the Scottish Government Planning and Environmental Appeals Decision. Unelected, his job is to field appeals from unsuccessful applicants and rule on whether – in his professional opinion – elected bodies answerable to voters made the right call in refusing them. If he thinks they did not, he has the power to turn their ruling on its head. Last month Mr Buylla delivered his verdict on the whether a unanimous decision by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (LLTNP) to reject the holiday resort on the land it is there to protect was the correct one. He has indicated it was not. In his view, providing Flamingo Land satisfies a series of conditions, they should go ahead and build the leisure park that holds the Scottish planning record for most objections. Unsurprisingly, the shock reversal has prompted a furious outcry. Demonstrators made their displeasure known outside the Scottish Parliament last week. Scottish Labour's deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie, the local MSP, has called it an 'affront to democracy'. Ross Greer of the Scottish Greens says it is an 'anti-democratic outrage' and that the approval of the 'mega-resort' will be 'deeply damaging to our national reputation.' And SNP ministers? What do they say on the denouement to Scotland's most railed-against planning application ever? They merely assert that the 'expert' has spoken. On any analysis the Flamingo Land saga – some ten years in the making – raises serious questions about the planning system, its accountability to the public, its apparent democratic deficit – not to mention why a Scottish Government reporter's expertise trumps that of the raft of experts who say the resort is a non-starter. But the affair is messier and murkier than that. Even more uncomfortable questions are now emerging over a planning fiasco which critics say leaves the government hopelessly compromised. Why, for example, should its appointed planning officer's conclusion be trusted over the recommendation of the government's own environmental watchdog, Sepa, which says the resort, known as Lomond Banks, should be ruled out because it breaches flood protection rules? And what to make of the fact that the land on which the resort would be built is currently owned by the Scottish Government's economic development wing, Scottish Enterprise, which plans to sell plot to Flamingo Land on approval of its application? According to Dame Jackie and others involved in the saga from the outset, the holiday resort proposal arose following government instructions to Scottish Enterprise to 'realise your assets' to raise capital. Having chosen Flamingo Land as its preferred bidder, Scottish Enterprise 'courted' the developer, says the Labour politician. Others go further. Former Conservative councillor Sally Page claims the English company was not only 'encouraged' by both the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise but that planners on LLTNP 'guided' the developer through the process. She says: 'Flamingo Land have spent a six-figure sum preparing this application. They can probably show enough evidence to support the case that Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government and LLTNP encouraged them all along. 'It is probable that a KC would be able to put together the evidence and sue either the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise or LLTNP for wasting their time, should it not go through.' In the end, she suggests, it was 'easier for the LLTNP locally to turn it down and let the Scottish Government's faceless reporter make the difficult decision.' In a nutshell she is arguing that the planning body was acutely aware that any decision they made to refuse the application would be challenged, taken out of their hands and possibly overturned – but they, at least, would avoid taking the heat for it. A sorry reflection, many might conclude, on a planning system which, at the appeal stage, upends democracy and removes political accountability. But where does this leave a Scottish Government which finds itself on both sides of the equation? Its own agency is the landowner which stands to profit from the sale of it to a developer. Its environmental watchdog is a key voice in opposing the development. And yet another arm of government, its appeals division, is the ultimate decision maker – reaching conclusions against the backdrop of possible legal action against its employer. In the circumstances, can it be tenable that no one with Ministerial responsibility – and accountability to voters – is prepared to involve themselves? Or is the fact that Scottish Government fingerprints are all over this almighty planning mess already the very reason why Ministers now refuse to touch it? Dame Jackie tells the Mail: 'Scottish Enterprise, the economic development arm of the SNP Government, has courted Lomond Banks for close to 10 years. It is therefore little wonder that SNP Ministers don't want to call it in.' The proposal, critics point out, is to build a holiday resort which is entirely out of keeping with the natural beauty of a visitor attraction of profound national importance. It will put 250 extra cars an hour onto the already congested A82, bring minimal economic benefit for the West Dunbartonshire community of Balloch because the resort is self-contained, offer mainly low-paid jobs and destroy ancient woodland. It was opposed not only by 155,000 objectors but by Sepa, the National Trust for Scotland, Ramblers Scotland, community councils and the Woodland Trust. Appalled by the lone planning officer's finding against the weight of such considerable expert opinion, the latter's advocacy manager Simon Ritchie states: 'The loss of ancient woodland to a development anywhere is shameful. To see it destroyed in a national park beggars belief.' And yet, it would seem, the Scottish Government is content that a lone operative has dealt with the matter and sees no reason for Ministers to dirty their hands with the fall-out. Mr Greer, whose party was in a power-sharing agreement with the SNP while much of the planning row raged, is among the most vociferous critics of the Scottish Government on this issue. He insists democratically accountable Ministers must have the final say when an application is of national importance. 'In the case of Flamingo Land, the Planning Minister and the First Minister are hiding behind officials, despite this decision effectively overturning key protections in the national planning framework agreed by Parliament.' He adds: 'Ministers should use their powers of recall when it's in the national interest. That is why the mechanism is available to them. Hiding behind officials sows mistrust towards our institutions. In our democracy, the buck stops with those who are elected.' Dame Jackie, meanwhile, describes the reporter's conclusions as 'really bizarre' and says that, in any case, it is 'not acceptable' for one unelected appointee, however experienced, to be free to overturn the decision of an elected body on an issue of such magnitude, There should be set criteria which trigger ministerial involvement in planning decisions she says. 'It's the lack of consistency, it's the race to get this through – and it's ministers refusing to do anything about calling it in because it is a political hot potato. 'It is an affront to democracy that this decision has been made by a single reporter, when less contentious applications have been called in previously. She adds: 'I want somebody who is democratically elected to look at this properly, and that's what I think Ministers should be doing.' The Scottish Government does have form for calling in planning decisions it deems of national importance. Back in 2008, Ministers stepped in and obliged Donald Trump whose plan to build a golf resort on the Menie Estate was refused by Aberdeenshire Council. The future US president's project was duly given the nod – resulting in years of controversy. Seventeen years on, there is zero Scottish Government appetite for ministerial involvement in the long-running and highly complex Lomond Banks row. Indeed, public finance minister Ivan McKee claims it is not even appropriate for him to comment on the application because it 'remains live'. Technically that may be the case – but only because the Scottish Government reporter has given Flamingo Land a deadline of six months to satisfy 49 conditions and reach a legally binding agreement with the national park. Yet he did feel free to say that, in view of the 'very technical' issues in the case and the high level of public interest it was appropriate that 'objective planning judgement' was applied. 'For that reason, I do not intend to recall this appeal'. He added: 'The expert in this case is the reporter, who is tasked with going through the planning regulations as they apply, looking at the evidence in depth.' Nor was Mr Swinney any more keen to step in to 'save' Loch Lomond. 'The appeal remains live. Members have to understand that it would not be appropriate for me to comment.' The democratic deficit at the heart of Scotland's planning appeal system is, of course, not a new discovery for many. Rural dwellers who oppose the imposition of wind farms on their doorsteps have highlighted it for years. They win the first battle when the local authority rejects the plan – then lose the second when a lone Scottish Government reporter uphold the appeal. Mr Greer's suggestion, then, that the Lomond Banks case represents an 'anti-democratic outrage' strikes some as a bit rich. Graham Lang, the chairman of Scotland Against Spin, says: 'We have no sympathy for him or his party who have chosen to ignore that the same scenario has been played out on an almost weekly basis for the past two decades in rural communities throughout Scotland. 'Mr Greer must be aware of this but has never complained when his beloved green energy developments are granted planning permission against the wishes of the majority of local residents.' For his part, the Green MSP argues these installations are about 'keeping the lights on across the country'. 'However, no one could argue that Flamingo Land is of national importance to Scotland.' The lone planning official's ruling was certainly welcomed in some quarters. Lomond Banks development director Jim Paterson said the company was 'delighted' by the decision, adding: 'As we look beyond today's decision, we remain committed to being a strong and valued contributor to the local economy and we look forward to progressing with our proposals as we now consider detailed planning.' Meanwhile Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, a group which has long campaigned in favour of the resort, said the reporter had 'resoundingly demolished' the arguments for opposing it. Responding to the allegations put to it by the Mail, including the claim that Flamingo Land was 'courted', leaving the Scottish Government conflicted, a spokesman said: 'These claims are untrue. The independent reporter is an experienced planning professional who provides an objective planning judgement.' Will the Scottish Parliament and the 155,000 who campaigned against Flamingo Land accept that answer? Or will they drag democratically accountable Ministers, kicking and screaming, into the spotlight? The last chapter in a story the SNP government are anxious to close the book on may not yet be written.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Popular Greek tourist resort labelled 'ultimate rip off'
The first sundowner of the evening is always a holiday highlight - but not if you're paying through the nose for it. One of Greece's prettiest spots, the ancient Old Town of Rhodes, has been red flagged as a major hotspot for overcharging tourists, according to reviews on Google and TripAdvisor . The area's narrow network of streets are filled with places to imbibe everything from local Dodecanese beer to shots of ouzo, but according to some disgruntled tourists, a visit to Rhodes' Old Town also leaves visitors vulnerable to inflated prices - with a string of bars accused of 'scamming' tourists. One of the most common tricks, say drinkers, comes via the 'Rhodes Boot', a boot-shaped glass vessel that can hold up to two litres of beer. Customers at bars in the Old Town say when they've asked for a small or medium beer, they're frequently been presented with the 'Boot', and then charged handsomely for it, whether they drank it or not - with prices starting at around 10 euros (£8.40) for the sizeable drink. Reviews of the Chevalier Shisha & Cocktail Lounge Bar, which is in the main square of Rhodes' Old Town and enjoys the attention of tourist crowds all summer long thanks to its atmospheric setting, has been on the receiving end of some particularly scathing reviews. One person, who visited in April, criticised the 'very poor service' and 'shocking attitude', as well as claiming they were given a second menu when they paid their bill at the bar - with very different prices. While there are plenty of positive reviews for the shisha bar, which has a three-and-a-half star rating on TripAdvisor, another unhappy customer claimed the establishment charged them 32 euros (£26) for two small cocktails, despite advertising the price at 20 euros (£16). A similar post from last summer also flagged the lack of clear pricing, saying: 'There are no menus and they don't tell you prices of drinks until you're paying the bill. 'They don't tell you that if you order a large cocktail you will get a fish bowl, which is £35 and a large beer is a 2 litre boot, which cost £18.' It seems to be a similar story at The Gate, another bustling venue in Rhodes' Old Town, where drinkers also reported being unhappy at the lack of transparency when it comes to prices. Just two weeks ago, four tourists said they paid 60 euros (£50) for a medium beer, cider, and two medium frozen daiquiris, with the reviewer calling the cocktails 'the worst I have ever come across', and claiming they 'didn't taste any alcohol'. Another declared the venue a 'tourist trap', writing: 'There is a reason why the drinks menu has no prices. I thought it was safe enough to order a sparkling water. It cost €5 (£4.20).' The bar earned just two stars out of five from 154 reviews on Google - with the food described as 'standard' but the drink prices never clear according to those who've visited it. A short walk away, a bar named Rendez Vous currently has just 1.9 stars on TripAdvisor, with ambiguous prices again behind the low score. One holidaymaker on the sun-drenched island last month said Rendez Vous had 'horrible prices' and urged people to 'ask or check them before ordering anything'. Another revealed they'd paid 15 euros for two soft drinks, writing: 'A shame. The staff were cold and unpleasant, and the prices are a real scam. Two cokes charged at 15 euros? (£12.60)' Meanwhile at the Panorama Cafe & Bar, there was more bad news, with those who'd enjoyed a drink there in recent months split on their experiences. 'We go in, ask for 'one small, and one medium size beer'. Server repeats. But a little later two 'boots' arrive, one of about 2 litres, one of at least one litre.' When it comes to paying, the customer was told 'we don't do small beers', and served up a 20 euro (£16.80) bill. And it seems it's been going on a while; back in 2022, one person penned: You'll be provided a menu with no featured prices. 'After you're finished with your watered down cocktail, served with low quality alcohol, you'll be presented with an outrageous bill. Ours was 70 euros (£58) for 2 cocktails. If I could give zero rating I would.' Another visitor said the view was sublime, but the service not quite the same standard, writing: 'Overall: unacceptable shop, service, drink and boss', although they said the cocktails served were reasonably priced. Over in Italy, tourists were warned this week about a potential scam involving one of the country's most famous foods - gelato. Tourists have been urged to take care when ordering ice cream in Italian destinations this summer as they could be being duped. Italian gelato is world famous for its creamy texture with tourists often flocking to purchase iconic flavours such as pistachio and stracciatella . But they might not be getting the real thing. The Express reports that many tourists are actually buying a cheap copy of gelato with the cheeky scam particularly prevalent in Rome. Foodies at explain that classic gelato is 'churned at a much slower rate, incorporating less air and leaving the gelato denser than ice cream'. And there's also an easier way for tourists to spot inauthentic gelato. If the ice cream colours are particularly bright, it's generally a sign that you're not buying a real gelato. Classic gelato is usually pale in colour as makers don't use artificial food colouring during the process. Tourists can also check reviews on Google and Tripadvisor to find gelato cafes with particularly high ratings.
