FAA to Check Athens Airport Security at Request of Greece

Greece announced today that it has invited the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to inspect security at the Athens airport in order to satisfy the Reagan Administration that it should lift a travel advisory warning Americans away from the facility.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Maroudas said the FAA examination of the airport was discussed in Washington this week by Assistant Secretary of State Richard R. Burt and Greek Ambassador George Papoulias.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman confirmed that the invitation had been received and said an FAA delegation would arrive next week.

The United States issued the advisory after the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 on a flight from Athens to Rome, setting off last month’s hostage crisis in which 39 Americans were held in Beirut, Lebanon, for 17 days.

The warning has led thousands of Americans to change or cancel their travel plans, dealing a stiff bow to Greece’s important tourist industry.

The International Air Transport Assn. has already issued a preliminary report approving steps being taken to improve security at the airport, but the U.S. Embassy spokesman said the advisory would not be lifted on the basis of that study.

Frequent travelers through the airport have noticed substantially stiffer security measures since the hijacking. “Many more bags are being searched after having been X-rayed,” one traveler said.