Samos airport

Samos Aristarchos Airport of Samos ; Αερολιμένας Σάμου Ἀρίσταρχος ο Σάμιος
Characteristics
ICAO code	LGSM
IATA code	SMI
Coordinates	37 ° 41 '24 " N , 26 ° 54' 42" E Coordinates: 37 ° 41 '24 " N , 26 ° 54' 42" E
Height above MSL	6 m (20 ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	4 km west of Pythagorio
Local transport	bus
Basic data
opening	1963
operator	Fraport Greece
Terminals	1
Passengers	479,975 (2019)
Air freight	227 t (2019)
Flight ; movements	6,274 (2019)
Capacity ; ( PAX per year)	500,000
Start-and runway
09/27	2044 m × 45 m asphalt

The Samos International Airport "Aristarchos of Samos" ( IATA code : SMI , ICAO code : LGSM ; also Samos International Airport "Aristarchos of Samos" ; Greek Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Σάμου "Αρίσταρχος ο Σάμιος" Kratikos Aerolimenas Samou "Aristarchos o Samios" ) is the international airport of the Greek island of Samos . The airport is named after the ancient astronomer and mathematician Aristarchus of Samos .

location

The airport is located near the south coast in the area of the village of Chora about 2 kilometers west of Pythagorio . The coastal settlement of Potokaki is immediately south. The distance to the city of Samos is almost 16 kilometers by road, mostly on the Vathy - Chora road (Επαρχιακή Οδός Βαθιού - Χώρας).

Airlines and Destinations

Especially in the summer months there is increased scheduled and charter air traffic due to the high number of tourists visiting. Many national (especially Athens ) and European destinations are served from here. On scheduled flights, Samos is served by Olympic Air , Aegean Airlines , Astra Airlines and Sky Express .

terminal

A new, modern terminal was built in 2001 and inaugurated in 2003. This now has ten check-in counters and four gates on 8850 m² (as of September 10, 2012).

Military operation

In addition to the scheduled flight operations, the American and Greek military (in the picture below a transport machine of the Greek Air Force) practice so-called touch-and-go approaches with mostly 4-engine propeller machines .

particularities

The runway measures only 2044 meters, making it one of the shortest at commercial airports in Europe. The short runway and the rather complicated landing approach (the airport is flown past from the direction of the sea, then about 135 ° right-hand bend along the chain of hills with landing in the direction of the sea) represent a challenge for many pilots.
Two fire-fighting planes are stationed at the airport .

Incidents

By March 2017, there was an accident with the total loss of the aircraft in which 34 people were killed:

On August 3, 1989, a Short 330-200 of Olympic Aviation ( aircraft registration SX-BGE ) flew on the approach to Samos airport against the 1430 m high mountain Kerkis, 25 km away. The machine was flown according to visual flight rules , although the area around the airport was clouded. All 31 passengers and three crew members were killed.