Corfu Airport History

Corfu Airport History

The Corfu International Airport “Ioannis Kapodistrias” received the name of the first governor of Greece Ioannis Kapodistrias, who had been born in the island. It is situated 3 kilometres away from the city centre. It operates since 1949.

The Corfu airport was founded in 1937 and the first aircraft that landed there was a Heston Phoenix, on the 22^nd of March, with Efstratios Xydis as its pilot. During World War II the Corfu airport was used by the Italian and German “axis” powers as a base for transport aircraft and fighters.

Well on in the war the length of the runway was reaching 600 metres. With its end, the work for the extension of the runway began and rubble from bombarded buildings in the city was used for this purpose. At the end of April 1949 the length reached 800 metres. The next and last extension of the runway began in 1957 and was completed in 1959, with a length of 2.375 metres.

The first commercial flight took place on the 19^th of April 1949 from Athens, by the company “AME”, with an Avro Anson aircraft transporting 7 passengers. The airline “TAE” carried on the flights, followed by “HELLAS” on the 2^nd of September 1950, both with aircraft DC-3. The competition prompted “AME” and “HELLAS” to consolidate with “TAE”, which was later bought by Aristotle Onassis, who also founded “Olympic Airways” in 1957.

In 1962, the small building of the passenger terminal was constructed, which today accommodates the Corfu Aeroclub and the Ware Office of Olympic Airlines. In April 1965 the Corfu Airport became International and the first flight, under the guidance of Air Traffic Control, was carried out with a Comet aircraft of “Olympic Airways”. The construction of the new passenger terminal began in 1968 and was completed in 1972.