On 5 June 2026, Hellenic Seaplanes inaugurated a new flight route connecting Greece and Albania. The launch marks the first-ever seaplane connection between two countries in Southeast Europe.
In what the Greece-based seaplane company describes as the “foundation for a broader maritime air transport network across the Adriatic and Ionian regions”, Hellenic Seaplanes has started operating a seaplane service connecting Ioannina (Greece) and Vlorë (Albania) and will soon be adding flights to Pogradec (Albania) too.
“Today we are not simply inaugurating a new route, but a new way in which the coastal and island regions of the Mediterranean can be interconnected. The Greece-Albania flight is the first step of a broader vision that aims to position our country as a key player in creating the first seaplane network in the Mediterranean. Greece does not only export tourism. It can also export expertise, infrastructure, innovation, and a new model of sustainable connectivity for the entire region,” stated Nicolas Charalambous, CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes.
The launch took place in Ioannina and was preceded by a meeting at the local city hall. The event focused on the city’s water airport, Lake Pamvotida Water Airport. According to the Mayor of Ioannina, Thomas Begas, all licensing procedures have been completed, and the process will be launched to select a contractor responsible for the construction and operation of the facility. On the same occasion, Hellenic Seaplanes presented the schedule and objectives of the first international seaplane flight between Greece and Albania.
“Today’s flight represents a highly positive and promising step for our region, as it demonstrates in practice the potential offered by the development of a modern seaplane network across the wider region of Epirus and the Balkans,” said Thomas Begas.
According to Hellenic Seaplanes, the service connecting Greece with Albania is being implemented following an official invitation from the Albanian authorities. The company identifies the initiative as the beginning of a strategic partnership aimed at developing infrastructure, seaplane networks, and new cross-border transport corridors connecting coastal cities, island regions, and tourist destinations across the Mediterranean.
A plan long in the making
The first efforts to make the new connection a reality were made in 2024. During a meeting in early July that included the General Consul of Albania in Ioannina, Irida Laci, the Mayor of Vlora Ermal Dredha, and the President and CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, Nicolas Charalambous, the opportunity to expand the Hellenic Seaplanes network of water airports to Albania was discussed. At the time, Charalambous presented a plan including ten water airports centred around the second largest port of Albania, Vlora.
“I believe that the initiative for creating water airports in Albania will have a significant developmental impact on the country. Being part of the seaplane network will allow both Albanian citizens and visitors to travel quickly, flexibly, and safely. For us, the creation of a water airport network will serve as another important pillar for the development of our country and will optimise our ports and airports,” Irida Laci, General Consul of Albania in Ioannina, said at the time.
2024 also marked the moment when, for the first time in 15 years, seaplanes returned to Lake Pamvotida in Ioannina. The first test flights were conducted in September 2024.
In the future, Hellenic Seaplanes, which already operates an extensive network of licensed seaplanes within Greece, aims for a gradual development of a broader network connecting countries across the Adriatic, Ionian, Eastern Mediterranean, and North Africa.
