Shipping and Island Policy Minister Vassilis Kikilias today confirmed in a morning television programme that the government intended to introduce new measures to support Greek ferry operators and address the impact of higher marine fuel costs.
The minister said the government had decided to intervene again to support the sector, stressing the importance of ferry services to island Greece, the movement of people and goods, and economic activity.
“The Greek government will support Greek ferry services again,” Vassilis Kikilias said, noting that they are a form of mass transport for the general public and meet vital needs in the islands.
New measures
He said that talks had already been held with representatives of ferry companies, and that details of the plan were expected to be announced in the coming days, in cooperation with the Presidency of the Government and the relevant ministries.
Mr Kikilias did not specify the amount or form of the support, saying that the measures would be announced once they had been finalised.
Referring to previous government measures, he recalled that they had helped hold back increases of around 15% in ferry ticket prices, which the sector had announced in advance.
He also linked the new initiative to the effects of the international energy crisis, stressing that conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, had significantly increased energy costs.
The minister said support for ferry services was not just about shipping companies, but about the islands’ economic activity as a whole, from tourism and trade to small family businesses and professionals.
Connecting Chios
The minister also drew particular attention to the disruption to travel to and from Chios caused by the island’s scheduled four-month airport closure.
As noted during the programme, ferry services are cut from six to three a week during the winter, raising concerns about transport for residents, professionals and military personnel travelling to and from the island.
Mr Kikilias expressed concern about coordination among the relevant bodies and the scheduling of works at Chios airport, noting that the Shipping Ministry was being called on to address the consequences of a problem outside its direct remit.
He said, however, that the ministry would seek to help resolve the issue through discussions with ferry companies and local authorities, while acknowledging that it could not compel private companies to increase their services unilaterally.
Drug trafficking
Elsewhere in the interview, the shipping minister referred to recent seizures of large quantities of drugs by the Hellenic Coast Guard, following cases uncovered in Lavrio and Chios.
He praised the professionalism of Coast Guard personnel and said the government was considering setting up a dedicated unit to tackle drug trafficking at ports, modelled on specialist units within the Hellenic Police.
He also said the Coast Guard’s operational capacity could be strengthened with at least 10 additional specially trained drug-detection dogs.
Finally, Mr Kikilias recalled that 420 personnel were due to be recruited into the Hellenic Coast Guard in 2026, while additional staffing needs to combat drug trafficking could be included in plans for 2027.