(Image: Getty Images)
Flight packages from Edinburgh to a popular Greek island will be suspended as the airport closes for major works.
Chios Airport on Chios, Greece’s fifth-biggest island, is scheduled to close for four months.
The island has around 50,000 residents and is set to be shut off to visitors during the closure.
The airport is shutting down while the runway is extended and upgraded ahead of next summer’s tourist season.
Omiros Airport on the Greek island of Chios is closing for four months (Image: Getty Images)
Chios Airport to close for 4 months affecting Edinburgh passengers
Travel packages from Edinburgh to Chios will be suspended when the Greek island’s airport closes.
Visitors typically fly to Athens or Thessaloniki before taking a smaller connecting plane to Chios.
The closure will affect visitors using holiday packages from Birmingham, Manchester and Gatwick airport.
Flights will be suspended while the runway is extended and upgraded ahead of next summer’s tourist season.
The runway is currently 1,511 metres long, so wide-bodied aircraft cannot land there.
It handles smaller propeller planes and narrow-body aircraft.
Once the project is complete, the runway will measure 1,799m and allow much larger aircraft to use the airport.
Emergency flights, including medical evacuations and search and rescue, will also be allowed to land during the work.
But the plan has faced opposition from the island’s chamber of commerce.
President of the Chios chamber of commerce Pantelis Legatos said: "The early closure will seriously affect the economy and society of the island, especially during the holiday season (Christmas, New Year), when people have planned trips, family visits and medical appointments.
"Chios, as a border island 5 miles from Turkey, depends on the air connection with the capital for health, entertainment and freedom reasons."
The original plan was to close the airport on January 15, months later than the current schedule for works.
Now, the closure is scheduled to take place from November 15 until March 15, 2027.
New passport rules affect Edinburgh Airport passengers
Passengers at Edinburgh Airport will also be affected by passport changes.
Passengers arriving at the Scottish airport will soon be able to pass through eGates without showing their passports.
The change comes as part of a nationwide rollout of contactless border technology that will eventually cover all UK airport eGates by early 2027.
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As of October 6, the new system uses facial recognition to match travellers' identities against immigration, travel, and passport records, streamlining entry and reducing wait times.
Under the new process, passengers will simply approach the eGate and have their photo taken.
The system will then compare the live image to official records, allowing entry without the need to present a physical passport—unless additional checks are required.
In such cases, travellers may be asked to scan their passport or speak to a Border Force officer.
Passengers are still advised to keep their passport with them at all times.
Have you got a flight booked from Edinburgh Airport soon? Let us know in the comments.