Plans to build a new helicopter pad on the Greek island of Hydra have received the green light, with authorities saying the project will improve access to emergency medical services and facilitate patient evacuations.
Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias signed the project agreement with Hydra Mayor George Koukoudakis and Sister Pelagia, the acting head of the Church of St. Nicholas of Hydra.
The project has a total budget of €1 million plus VAT. The Attica Region will provide up to €829,100 from its own funds, with the Municipality of Hydra as the beneficiary.
The helicopter pad will be built at a location known as Aloni, about 5 kilometers from Hydra’s main settlement. The facility will cover approximately 1,800 square meters and will include the infrastructure required for the safe landing and takeoff of helicopters.
Particular emphasis will be placed on emergency operations and the medical evacuation of patients.
Land secured for the project
The site is located within a roughly 160-acre property belonging to the Monastery of St. Nicholas. The monastery is granting the land to the Municipality of Hydra for 30 years.
The project will also include an access road designed to facilitate safe access to the helicopter pad.
“Hydra is acquiring critical infrastructure directly linked to the safety, health and quality of life of its residents and visitors,” Hardalias said.
“Island life cannot and should not mean isolation or unequal access to basic services,” he added, stressing that residents of the Attica region, whether on the mainland or on its islands, should have the same sense of security and access to immediate assistance in an emergency.
According to Hardalias, the new helicopter pad and access road will create the conditions for safer helicopter operations while, most importantly, allowing faster patient evacuations and more effective responses to emergencies.
He described the project as a long-standing demand that is now moving toward implementation.
Hydra Mayor George Koukoudakis said the project had been requested by local residents for decades to address emergency needs.
“We hope that it will soon go out to tender and that we will proceed with its implementation before the end of our term — and, God willing, we will all be well enough to inaugurate it,” Koukoudakis said.
