After five years of operating direct flights linking Athens with New York, perhaps the time has come for Emirates to consider a similar service to northern Greece, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias proposed while speaking at an event organized by the airline to mark the anniversary.

Kikilias pointed out that it was a successful air route and thanked Emirates for its trust in the destination, given that Greece has been going through successive crises in the last 12 years.

“After a crisis exceeding a decade, Greece has now turned the page and is looking to the future with confidence,” Kikilias underlined, adding that the country has substantially improved its infrastructure and is adding new impetus to its economic growth.

Referring to Thessaloniki, he pointed to Fraport’s figures and the fact that Makedonia International Airport has been modernized and upgraded, urging Emirates officials to examine the possibility of adding more direct flights linking Thessaloniki with New York and Dubai.

This article as previously published at ekathimerini.com.