The green light has been given for a major accessibility project in the Saronic Gulf islands: the construction of a helipad on Hydra, along with an access road. Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias signed the relevant program agreement together with Hydra Mayor Giorgos Koukoudakis and Sister Pelagia, representing the Church of Saint Nicholas of Hydra.
The project has a total budget of €1 million plus VAT and will be financed from the Attica Region’s own funds, up to €829,100, with the Municipality of Hydra as the beneficiary.
The helipad will be built at the “Aloni” site
The helipad will be constructed at the “Aloni” site, approximately 5 km from Hydra’s main settlement.
The facility will occupy an area of approximately 1,800 sq. m. and will be equipped with all the necessary infrastructure for the safe landing and takeoff of helicopters, with particular emphasis on emergency response and the evacuation of patients.
The land on which the helipad will be built forms part of a property of approximately 160 stremmas (about 160,000 sq. m.) belonging to the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas. The property will be granted to the Municipality of Hydra for a period of 30 years.
Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias said after signing the agreement:
“Hydra is gaining a critical piece of infrastructure directly connected to the safety, health and quality of life of its residents and visitors. For us, living on an island cannot and must not mean isolation or unequal access to essential services. Every citizen of Attica, whether they live in the center of the metropolitan area or on one of our islands, deserves the same sense of security and the same ability to receive immediate assistance when needed.
With the construction of the new helipad and access road, we are creating the conditions for safe landings and takeoffs, but above all for faster patient evacuation and a more effective response to emergencies. This is a project of substance—a decades-old request that is now becoming reality.
Strengthening accessibility for the island municipalities remains a consistent priority for the Attica Region. We are investing in infrastructure that reduces distances, removes barriers and strengthens the resilience of local communities. I would like to warmly thank His Eminence the Metropolitan of Hydra, Spetses and Aegina, Ephraim, for his strong contribution to society, which demonstrates in practice the strong presence of our Church alongside citizens and their needs. I would also like to thank the worthy mayor and friend, Giorgos Koukoudakis, as well as the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas, for their cooperation and substantial contribution.
We are continuing with planning and consistency so that our islands have the infrastructure they deserve and need. Because equal access to infrastructure is a matter of social cohesion, safety and genuine equality for all citizens.”
Hydra Mayor Giorgos Koukoudakis said:
“Today is an important day because we signed the program agreement for the construction of Hydra’s helipad. A project that has been a decades-old request from our fellow residents, intended to address emergencies, is now entering the implementation process. I would like to express my warmest thanks to the Metropolitan of Hydra and the Abbess of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas for granting the site, but—above all—to Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias, who understood the seriousness of the request and immediately decided to finance this important and vital project for Hydra.
We hope that it will soon be put out to tender and that implementation will begin, so that before the end of our term in office—and God willing, with everyone in good health—we can all be there to inaugurate it.”
Also present at the signing of the program agreement were Islands Deputy Regional Governor Nikos Papageorgiou and Mary Miska, Director of Development Planning at the Attica Region.
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