Ios: PEPEN meeting on port expansion

At a working meeting held on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, at the offices of the Panhellenic Union of Merchant Marine Captains (PEPEN), participants discussed progress on the expansion and completion of the port facilities of Ios. The meeting was attended by PEPEN president Cpt. Panagiotis Gigis and secretary general Cpt. Eleni Papadopoulou, executives from shipping companies — including Attica Group, Fast Ferries and Seajet — a representative of the Association of Passenger Shipping Companies (SEEN), the president of the Ios Municipal Port Fund, Stylianos Paximadas, as well as executives from the engineering consultancy Marnet and the construction company Domiki Kritis. The meeting’s purpose was a detailed briefing and an exchange of views among the parties involved regarding the project’s progress, the next stages of implementation, and issues requiring coordination and cooperation among the responsible bodies.

The project “Expansion – Completion of Port Facilities on Ios” has a budget of 11.4 million euros and is included in the ESPA operational programme “Transport 2020-2027”. Under its approved design, it provides for two stern-mooring berths for conventional passenger/vehicle ferries, oriented differently so that vessels can approach and remain safely moored regardless of prevailing weather conditions, one side-mooring berth for passenger-only fast ferries, and roughly four stremmata (about 0.4 hectares) of additional onshore space for port operations and the safe entry and exit of vehicles to and from the port. The project is part of a broader programme to upgrade island ports being carried out by the responsible ministry at dozens of destinations across the country.

Ios, like most islands in the Cyclades, has no airport and depends almost entirely on its ferry connection, both for the movement of residents and the transport of goods and for tourist traffic, which multiplies in the summer months, with thousands of passengers passing through the port daily during peak season. The limited number of mooring berths at the current port makes it difficult to serve several ships simultaneously, especially when arrivals of larger vessels coincide, and can lead to schedule delays or mooring difficulties when strong winds prevail, a phenomenon common in the Aegean during the winter months. Upgrading the port infrastructure is considered decisive for the safety of passengers and crews, as well as for the stability of the island’s ferry connection with the rest of the Cyclades, especially during bad weather, when access to the island becomes more difficult.

During the meeting, all participants stressed the need to continue cooperation and coordination among the responsible bodies, so that the works can proceed smoothly and be completed according to the planned specifications. PEPEN stated that it will continue to monitor the project’s progress as part of its institutional role, with an emphasis on safety issues and the smooth operation of ferry services. However, no specific completion timeline for the works was announced, nor any details about the construction contractor or a start date for on-site works; these matters are expected to be determined in the next stages of implementation, as the parties involved continue their dialogue on the project’s progress.