U.S. Finds Athens Airport Safe for Travelers Again

The State Department on Monday lifted its five-week-old travel advisory for Americans visiting Athens after a U.S. inspection team reported improved security at the Greek airport.

“Athens international airport now meets international airport security requirements,” the department said in a statement. The advisory was issued after the hijacking last month of TWA Flight 847; the United States has contended that the Shia Muslim hijackers were able to bring their weapons on board in Athens because of lax security at the airport.

But a team of Federal Aviation Administration security experts inspected the airport last week and found that “the Greek government has taken positive actions which are ongoing to improve airport security,” department spokesman Charles Redman said.

In addition, the International Air Transport Assn. has reported that security at the Athens airport now meets international guidelines. “In our opinion, Athens is up to our standards,” IATA spokesman Thomas Pyle said.

“We’re thrilled about it,” declared Nikos Papaconstantinou, press attache with the Greek Embassy, which had waged a heavy public relations campaign against the U.S. travel advisory. “It was anticipated, but we never knew when and how soon.”

The advisory was issued June 18, four days after Flight 847 was hijacked, and caused tension between the United States and Greece, which defended its airport security policies and urged Americans to disregard the warning.

‘Very Hasty, Unreasonable’

Papaconstantinou said the Greek government considered the U.S. advisory “very hasty and very unreasonable.” About 12,000 travelers, chiefly Americans, have diverted their travel from Athens since the warning was issued, he estimated.

Now, he said, policing of the airport has been increased and the airport’s perimeter fence has been repaired and is more heavily guarded.

In addition, the Greek government has decided to allow individual airlines to conduct their own security checks of travelers after they pass through Greek airport security checkpoints, he said.

“There was some point of friction with the second check-in, because Greek authorities said their check was sufficient,” Papaconstantinou said. The separate airline checks were to have been discontinued this summer but will remain on the recommendation of the air transport association.

Statement From Dole

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Hanford Dole said that FAA security specialists “were pleased to find that Athens International Airport now meets internationally accepted standards of security.”

Pyle, meanwhile, said that an International Air Transport Assn. security team delivered its final report on improving security to the Greek government July 13. “They accepted all of our recommendations,” he said.

The agency’s concerns range from baggage checks to better protection of the airfield and the ramp areas where the aircraft are parked.